Capital City Golf Course Property Coordinated Initiative and Action Plan - September 25, 2025

Issue Overview

The City of Tallahassee received a Letter of Interest and an appraisal report of the City-owned property at 833 Santa Rosa Drive from Capital City Country Club to purchase the parcel (178.92 +/-) for the appraised value of $1,150,000. The appraised value was based on a very flawed analysis that the “Highest and Best Use” for the property would be a golf course. Somehow the appraiser didn’t recognize that for the stated purpose of “establishing market value,” development qualify as “Highest and Best Use” for this beautiful in-town parcel, but that conclusion would have resulted in an exponentially higher appraised value for the parcel.

As a result of receiving the Letter of Interest, the City Real Estate Department prepared an Agenda item with a recommendation to obtain an appraisal of the golf course parcel and prepare a proposal to sell the parcel to Capital City Country Club. Staff’s analysis found only “pros” and no “cons” for selling the parcel, and cherry-picked provisions of the City’s Real Estate Policy #136 in support of the sale as “surplus property,” while ignoring other provisions that would prohibit the sale (e.g., “It is the policy of the City to maintain ownership of public land which is used for  passive or active recreation.” “A property may be considered surplus if there is no present City use or no identified potential future City use.”). Objective evaluation of staff’s rationale and the resultant recommendation indicates a biased presumption that the property should be sold to Capital City Country Club.

Upon learning that the September 17, 2025 City Commission meeting agenda included an agenda item titled: “Consideration of the Sale of the Capital City Golf Course Parcel,” Jeff Blair drafted a public comment that was approved unanimously by the Woodland Drives Neighborhood Association’s (WDNA) Board of Directors (BOD) for distribution to the City Commission.

At the September 17, 2025 City Commission Meeting, despite the unanimous opposition expressed by approximately twenty (20) public speakers, the Commission voted 3-2 in favor, to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to obtain an appraisal of the golf course parcel at 833 Santa Rosa Drive, and prepare a proposal to sell the parcel to the Capital City Country Club for Commission consideration.

The WDNA BOD believes this is an extremely critical issue with real potential for negatively altering the character of Woodland Drives as a neighborhood specifically, and Tallahassee as a community generally. In addition, the selling-off any of our few remaining in-town publicly owned green spaces, would establish a highly undesirable precedent. Let’s not open the door to more unbridled growth by exchanging our community’s very real need for in-town publicly accessible green space for the narrow profit-making interests of private developers. Let’s not trade any of the remaining green space accessible to downtown and southside residents. Instead, let’s put the interests and needs of our community ahead of the desires of special interests, and preserve this property for the public in perpetuity.

Initiative Action Plan

The Board has convened a Leadership and Coordinating Team to spearhead Woodland Drive’s Initiative to prevent the sale of the Capital City Golf Course parcel and to develop a Comprehensive Coordinated Action Plan. The Leadership and Coordinating Team in turn, has convened a Neighborhood Mobilization Subcommittee tasked with mobilizing Woodland Drives residents to oppose the sale of the Capital City Golf Course parcel and to retain public ownership.

Leadership and Coordinating Team’s Scope of Work [Lead Jeff Blair and Greg Youchock]:

·       Developing a Comprehensive Coordinated Action Plan;

·       Leading and coordinating the initiative;

·       Serving as an accessible liaison to the WDNA Board of Directors;

·       Serving as liaison and coordinating the Neighborhood Mobilization Subcommittee;

·       Drafting the overall message and updates regarding the initiatives;

·       Ensuring regular website, eNewsletter, and email updates;

·       Working with ATN and other neighborhoods;

·     Coordinating and Collaborating with stakeholders working to preserve the memory and sanctity of the now unmarked African American cemetery where 80-100 enslaved persons are believed to be buried on the golf course;

·       Continue to support development and installation of an Enslaved Persons Memorial on-site;

·       Communicating with City of Tallahassee staff;

·       Communicating with City Commission members; and

·       Providing public comments, and attending and speaking at Commission meetings.

 Neighborhood Mobilization Subcommittee’s Scope of Work [Nasrin Belbasi, Deborah Lawson and Marsha Rule]:

·       Reporting to the Leadership and Coordinating Committee;

·       Serving as an accessible liaison to the residents of Woodland Drives;

·       Submitting written comments;

·       Attending City Commission meetings as needed;

·       Developing template message(s) for residents to use for submitting and/or making in-person comments;

·       Designing, printing, and distributing flyers door-to-door;

·       Designing and posting signs throughout the neighborhood;

·       Drafting messages and updates for posting to the Facebook page, and any other available communication and/or social media platforms;

·       Drafting regular website and eNewsletter updates and calls to actions; and

·    Working closely with Leadership Team on messaging, timing, and coordination of a comprehensive coordinated Strategy for Woodland Drives to mobilize and oppose the sale of the property generally, and to ensure the City of Tallahassee retain ownership of the property in perpetuity, and its use is restricted to either that of a golf course open to the public, or preferably, as accessible public green space serving as park lands and greenway corridor extending the connectivity of our public spaces including Cascades Park and Myers Park.

Initiative Overview, Chronology, and Action Plan prepared By Jeff Blair on behalf of the WDNA BOD. 

Public Comment Provided to the City Commission on September 17, 2025

Comment Unanimously Adopted by the Woodland Drives Neighborhood Association Board of Directors on 16 September 2025.

Woodland Drives Neighborhood Association stands united in our opposition to the sale of Capital City Country Club and Golf Course property. The property serves as our neighborhood’s western boundary along Country Club Drive and Santa Rosa Drive, and is an important green space to the community.

We feel strongly that the City of Tallahassee should retain ownership of the property in perpetuity, and its use be restricted to that of a golf course open to the public, or preferably, as accessible public green space serving as a greenway and corridor to extend the connectivity of our public spaces including Cascades Park and Myers Park.

Notwithstanding the Capital City Country Club’s stated intention of acquiring ownership in order to capitalize and invest in upgrading the property and facilities, and irrespective of whether the property has deed restrictions requiring it only be used for a golf course, we are concerned that the property will eventually be sold to a developer and the deed restriction removed in favor of development.

In summary, the Woodland Drives Neighborhood Association adamantly opposes the sale of the Capital City Country Club and CCCC Golf Course, and want the property to be retained by the City. We are opposed to this important down-town green-space being used for anything other than its current use as a golf course open to the public, or even better, as accessible public green space.

Public comment drafted by Jeff Blair on behalf of the WDNA BOD – Comment was emailed to each City commissioner, and provided orally as a public comment at the September 17, 2025 City Commission meeting.