How do you respond to Community Concerns?

Comments from the Pebble Creek HOA Miniature Golf Advisory Committee and Community Information Sessions

“I prefer the entry area to stay vacant as it is with trees and grass. It’s part of our entrance.”
Response: The Homeowner’s Association owns the first 300 feet off of Bruce B. Downs, including all the subdivision signage and plantings – this will always remain as the community entrance. The golf course offered to sell the proposed miniature golf parcel to the HOA at a substantial discount, but it declined. The golf course still has the same objective to keep it’s entrance attractive.
“I don’t want to lose the beautiful grandfather oaks on the miniature golf property.”
Response: The original course plan was modified with the sole objective of minimizing any loss of trees. A tree survey was performed, and the course was designed around the trees. The new plan calls for elimination of only a few smaller of the 65+ trees and does not call for elimination of any grandfather oaks. Man-made streams between water features were also eliminated, because the fill dirt to create the elevation changes for the streams to work would endanger the trees and their root systems. Shade is a very desirable feature for a miniature golf.
Will this be like a Congo Golf with big elevation changes, planes crashing and alligators swimming around?
Response: No, the course will be flat, built on the existing grade. This will make it level and less noticeable from the road, but import of fill dirt could harm existing tree root systems, so we mostly eliminated that. It’s going to be a neighborhood course, so you won’t get any of the glitz with crashing planes and jungle themes.
Your other courses are tropical themed with lots of palms. Will you do that here?
Response: No, although some shade-loving palms will be used, we will mostly use other plants like azaleas that fit well in a shady, treed area. Our other courses are in the full sun, so their plants are different and more tropical.
It’s too close to the road. Can you set the course back from the road?
Response: Yes, we changed the design to set it back from Regents Park Drive. Miniature golf courses typically need only 1/3 to ½ of an acre. With a full acre site, we have more than twice the property that is necessary to build on. This course will be set back from the road and have extra space between holes. Our Brandon miniature golf is built on less than ½ an acre.
“Will you use a fence? Will it be attractive? I don’t like chain link or wood stockade.”
Response: A fence is necessary to for children’s safety to keep them from straying to the road. We agree to use a decorative aluminum slat fence (similar to that around the Pebble Creek community pool) rather than chain link or stockade. It will be 4’ tall, black and mostly transparent versus “solid” fence designs. Alternatively, we could use more plant material to create a hedge barrier.
“Will the lighting look like your other miniature golf courses?”
Response: No, it will be an upgraded, shoebox style light that shines downward versus the stadium-style sports lighting fixtures that shine out and create glare.
“What signage will you use? We don’t think a large, lighted sign would be appropriate.”
Response: We agree to use only a small, tasteful, non-lighted sign on the fence along Regents Park Drive. We do not plan any signage along Bruce B. Downs unless it meets with the HOA’s approval.
“What will the hours of operation be? It should not go too late.”
Response: The hours will be 9am to 9pm Sunday through Thursday and 9am to 10pm Friday and Saturday. In no event shall the course be opened earlier than 8am and stay open later than 10pm.
“Will there be any buildings constructed with this? I would rather the site stay like a park.”
Response: We agree to build only a small (less than 150 square foot) gazebo at the entrance to service evening play. The existing golf course pro shop will service players during the day when usage is low.
“Won’t the miniature golf cheapen or detract from the golf club and neighborhood”
Response: We have spent over a million dollars updating and upgrading Pebble Creek Golf Club during the last two years, so we aren’t about to put in a “cheap” and “shabby-looking” miniature golf. The $400,000 course will be professionally designed and constructed by Harris Miniature Golf, the leading building of miniature golf courses. It won’t have any of the old “trashy” stereotype features like windmills, dinosaurs, colored lights, animals, figures or little building models. It will be built with water fountains, landscaping, bank shots, and sand traps.
“The existing bridge and sidewalk easement that goes through the course should stay.”
Response: We agree to keep the sidewalk and bridge, so that residents may continue to access the recreation center from Regents Park Drive through our property.
“If the golf course goes out of business, the miniature golf would become an eyesore or future owners could turn it into a tacky-looking course. How can you prevent that?
Response: We agree to conditions in this rezoning that will require the course to be of the specified style and construction without tacky fiberglass animals. This will convey to any future owners of the course. Residents may recall that the golf course and clubhouse were in a state of disrepair when we purchased the course in 2005. We have renovated just about everything.
“How do we know you are going to do what you say?”
Response: Hillsborough County Codes and Zoning Conditions require strict compliance and carry penalties for non-compliance. Every detail for this project from lighting to landscaping, parking, fencing, signage and more is specified in writing. Furthermore, I ask you to look at what we have done to improve Pebble Creek Golf Club and to consider our 14-year track record as a family-owned business in Hillsborough County – we provide quality recreation services and have always been a good neighbor.

Concerns
Mini-Golf would attract juvenile delinquents.
Response: According to a recent national study on miniature golf participants (PMI/SherylGolf), the typical player is family oriented and upscale:
Median Age: 37 Years
Percent of Household with Children under 18 years of age: 56%
Percentage of College Graduates: 53%
Median Household Income: $62,000
In our 14 year’s experience operating miniature golf in Hillsborough County, miniature golf does not attract a bad crowd; it’s just not “cool”. If there ever were to be a problem with loitering or a bad crowd, we pledge to supervise the facility and remove any unwanted patrons – but, we just have not experienced this problem.
Juvenile delinquents who come to the Mini-Golf would vandalize the Community Pool and Recreation Center.
Response: Pebble Creek has an existing problem with juvenile vandalism. We believe that giving youth good, wholesome recreational activities reduces unwanted behavior and that greater surveillance and lighting associated with the miniature golf will help reduce existing problems.
Because of concerns that patrons could exit the course at the existing sidewalk and enter the community center, the course has been re-routed to stay entirely to the east (golf club side) of the existing sidewalk and will be fenced to restrict access. The only entry and exit points for miniature golf patrons will be at the beginning of the course near the small parking lot by the golf course pro shop.
Mini-Golf would exacerbate existing traffic problems.
Response: Miniature Golf usage is highest between 7-9pm after the family dinner when traffic has died down. The amount of customers generated is minor compared to that generated at the golf course and is typically highest when the golf course is slowest. Note: Mr. Charles White, Hillsborough County Transportation Management, commented that this use would not require a traffic study because of its negligible impact.
Night Lighting would disturb residents.
Response: Decorative shoebox lighting has been designed to create zero spill light on nearby homes and no glare (see attached lighting study). Note that the immediately adjacent community recreation center, shopping center, and golf club parking is lighted, and the community pays for street lights along Regents Park Drive. Also, the majority of the residents that can see the proposed miniature golf from their homes have signed a letter of support – we won’t let them down in making sure that unwanted light does not intrude on them. The Hillsborough County Lighting Code requires 2 footcandles or less at the property line; our lighting will generate less than 1 footcandle at the property line.
Kids would be noisy, disturbing residents.
Response: In our 14 years’ experience, we have found that miniature golf is not a “noisy” activity. The only noise complaint ever received at our miniature golfs was due to the volume of an outdoor radio – this course will have no radio or PA system. Limited hours and course supervision will further limit any potential noise problems. Note: the adjacent community pool probably generates more noise than the miniature golf ever will.
There is not adequate parking for the miniature golf.
Response: With 126 existing spaces, Pebble Creek Golf Club has 49 spaces in excess of the number of parking spaces required by County Code for both the golf club and miniature golf. Because the golf course is always busiest in the early mornings and the miniature golf is busiest in the early evenings, the uses provide for efficient use of existing parking. If parking requirements are ever exceeded for a special event, the options exist to use overflow parking at the First Presbyterian Church or to close the miniature golf course temporarily.

Code Requirement for Golf Course – 5 per 1,000 square feet of clubhouse = 50
Code Requirement for Miniature Golf – 4 persons/hole * 18 * .3 = 22
Total Code Requirement = 77
Existing Parking at Pebble Creek Golf Club = 126
Number of Spaces in Excess of Code = 49
Code Requirements: Dennis Kline, Hillsborough County PGM

The miniature golf will cause environmental damage to adjacent Pebble Creek.
Response: The EPC reviewed the submittal and has no objections to the proposed miniature golf. All required setbacks will be met. There will not be any more danger proposed to Pebble Creek than from existing household and golf course uses. Horner Environmental inspected the site and determined that it is all upland, except for the Pebble Creek setback areas that the course will not intrude upon.
After this, they will build batting cages, go carts, a video arcade and “a Roller Coaster”.
Response: This application is solely for a miniature golf course with the conditions described herein. The applicant has no intent to ever build batting cages, go carts, a video arcade or other amusements. If any future owner wished to do so, they would have to initiate another public zoning application.
The location at the entrance to Pebble Creek is not appropriate.
Response: The entrance to Pebble Creek (first 300 feet back from Bruce B. Downs and all the frontage) is owned and maintained by the Homeowner’s Association. The proposed mixed-use site is immediately adjacent to the existing, lighted, indoor/outdoor Community Recreation Center. It is also next to the golf club, shopping center and a divided roadway. There are 9 homes that have some view of the site, the majority of whom support this project. Of the 5 homes to the north that can see the site, 4 of these residents have signed a letter of support. Of the 4 homes to the south that can see the site, all have signed a letter of support.