Lenobel and Welly differ on tee times

Commissioner Hal Lenobel “strongly opposes” an amendment proposed by the Longboat Key Club and Resort to change a 31-year golf agreement with the town and the way that agreement offers tee times.

The commission reviewed a proposed ordinance Friday, Feb. 12 by the Longboat Key Club and Resort that would amend an agreement between the town and the club to allow guests of the proposed hotel to play golf on the renovated Islandside course.

At the special workshop held in the middle of the Islandside renovation-and-expansion hearing at Temple Beth Israel, Lenobel said he is worried that an amendment proposed by club attorney Jim Syprett does not sufficiently address the rights of playing time for club members and about how the addition of guests from a new hotel at Islandside would affect playing time.

Currently, the agreement allows for tee times and golf course play only by members of the club and guests of the Inn on the Beach.

Syprett presented an amendment Friday that would allow guests of the proposed five-star hotel to use the course as well.

Club members will continue to make tee times on the course at least three days in advance. However, the change proposed by the club involves Inn on the Beach guests asking for tee times two-and-a-half days in advance, and guests at the proposed hotel could make tee times two days in advance.

The club showed statistics that it believes prove that the addition of guests of the new hotel using the course will not create too much play on the Islandside golf course.

But a frustrated Lenobel spoke out against the new amendment. He told Key Club General Manager Michael Welly he thought he had come to an agreement with Welly a day earlier.

“We said guests of the new hotel could make tee times one day in advance,” Lenobel said.

 Welly, however, said although he agreed with Lenobel on some things the commissioner suggested during their conversation, he did not agree to give guests of the hotel just one day to make a golf reservation.

“We are proposing Inn on the Beach guests to ask for tee times two-and-a-half days in advance and guests at the proposed hotel to make tee times two days in advance,” Welly said.

The comment irked Lenobel.

“I am strongly opposed to the amendment proposed and won’t support it,” Lenobel said.

Islandside Property Owners Coalition attorney Michael Furen said the commission couldn’t amend the golf agreement or an open space agreement. Both need to be changed in order to approve the club’s Islandside project.

Town Attorney David Persson, however, said the commission has the power to make the changes.

The commission will review a revised golf and open space agreement prepared by David Persson at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb.  18 during its regular workshop (which starts at 2 p.m.) at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road.

If the commission agrees to bring the amendments forward for approval, the commission can approve the amendments at its next Islandside hearing, scheduled for 8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 19, at Temple Beth Israel, 567 Bay Isles Road.

At that hearing, Planning, Zoning and Building Director Monica Simpson will give her assessment on a revised Islandside project that now calls for the hotel going up one additional floor to 11 stories over one level of parking and the removal of one of the villa unit buildings.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].