Hillsborough: Cheval project steams owners

Hillsborough

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Cheval project steams owners

The county okays a plan to squeeze in 82 townhouses.

By BILL COATS
Published January 24, 2007

TAMPA - Overriding objections from one of north Hillsborough's most prestigious neighborhoods, Hillsborough County commissioners on Tuesday authorized two young developers to sandwich 82 townhouses next to Cheval's golf course.

At Cheval Golf & Country Club, the 13th fairway will shorten to accommodate an estate home beyond the green. The fairway of the 18th hole will be filled with 45 townhouses, leaving golfers to shoot across a lake onto an island green.

"This will provide a dramatic finishing hole," said Joel Tew, attorney for developers Alex Sullivan and Adam Schoenbaum, who bought pieces of the country club property last year for $9.95-million. Sullivan is the son of Outback Steakhouse founder Chris Sullivan. Schoenbaum is a grandson of Shoney's founder Alex Schoenbaum.

The Cheval Property Owners Association has been steamed over the plans, which are the latest in a three-year effort by Rand Gentry, the country club owner, to squeeze development proceeds from his golf course. In exchange, Gentry has pledged to upgrade the course and facilities.

"One owner shouldn't be able to do this without the consent of the rest," argued Cathleen O'Dowd, an attorney for the property owners.

The association's president, Lea Welch, said members voted against the townhouses by a 15-1 ratio. Their land use consultant said 82 townhouses will quadruple the multifamily housing in the development, which has nearly 500 separate houses.

"In my back yard, I'm going to have townhouses now," said Christine Kyle, whose house backs up to the tennis center. "My home is 3,600 square feet. It's valued at three-quarters of a million dollars."

County planners said commissioners were largely bound by Cheval's original 1982 master plan, which allows another 222 housing units.