The Clearwater City Council will decide next month how to proceed with an unsolicited bid to develop the 77-acre Landings Golf Club into a sports complex.
City staff earlier this year determined that a public referendum vote wasn’t required. So the decision now goes to the council about whether it wants to continue conversations with the team behind the project, and if so, how.
Developer Les Porter pitched the plan, which would bring a sprawling complex of a dozen playing fields, two dozen pickleball courts, a water park, private gym, sand volleyball courts, a mini golf course and a 5,000-seat stadium to the city-owned course. If approved, the city would lease the land and retain ownership.
The Landings abuts North Keene Road and the Clearwater Executive Airport. Residences surround the property.
Neighbors and other Clearwater residents in recent months have shared concerns about the project’s potential effects on noise, traffic and the environment. Their anxiety around developing the golf course isn’t new.
In 2020, voters rejected a development proposal that would have leased most of the course for a light industrial complex. At the time, residents formed a group called Keep Keene Green to rally votes against the proposal. The group has remained active since.
“It’s the largest parcel of open space left,” said Melissa Stamos, a member of the group. “Once you build it, you cannot unbuild it. They aren’t making any more land.”
Keep Keene Green held a meeting with the development team Tuesday evening so residents could ask questions about the proposal.
Clearwater charter requires a referendum if someone wants to lease a city-owned open space property for a different use. Brian Aungst Jr., a lawyer representing the development team, said the proposal would not change the use of the land — it will still be used as a parks and recreation facility, which open space zoning permits.
But if the council wanted to put it to a referendum, it could vote to do so.
“I didn’t think I would have to fight for this again,” said resident Natalie Waterman. “This is my backyard. My condo is on the first floor, and it’s facing Keene Road.”
Eric Sullivan, executive vice president of the Clearwater-based management company Sports Facilities Cos., said the bid is in response to parks and recreation needs in the county and Clearwater.
“The county’s been on a journey to expand more long fields for about the last 20 years,” he said. Long fields are used for sports like soccer, football and lacrosse. The project, he said, would round out tourism, create jobs and support local needs.
At the meeting, the room was divided between skeptics of the project and people wearing green Clearwater Sports Complex T-shirts.
“We’ve had a lot of difficulties over the last 20 years trying to expand our club,” said Ken Jewell, president of the Chargers Soccer Club. “I think I represent thousands of families locally who would benefit from this particular expansion.”
The development team also recently met with Stamos and other neighbors to discuss their concerns. But Stamos reiterated in the meeting Tuesday the group is “unequivocally against this development.”
“If it does happen, we want it to be as compatible with your neighborhood as possible,” Aungst told the group.
Porter, the developer, previously tried to build a sports complex in Largo, but voters rejected the plan in a 2022 referendum.
Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector told the Tampa Bay Times last year he had recused himself from anything related to the proposal because he is general counsel for The Sports Facilities Cos.
Porter’s team is expected to present to the City Council during an Aug. 3 work session, and the council is scheduled to decide if it wants to continue conversations with development team Aug. 6.
