Villagers living near Hole #4 of the Heron Executive Golf Course watched with disappointment Thursday as a contractor forklifted in “cow pasture” quality sod on the eve of the course’s reopening.
Two years ago, residents of the Village of Sunset Pointe neighborhood were promised an “expedited” remedy of the constant flooding and the accompanying stench and mosquitoes.
The course is scheduled to reopen on Friday, May 3.
However, residents say the promises from the Project Wide Advisory Committee have fallen far short.
The sod that was being put down on the golf course behind their homes was sloppy and falling apart as it was hauled in by the forklift driver. Residents said if a homeowner had been out of compliance and put down this type of sod, it would have never passed muster with Community Standards.
In other areas, the previous sod was scraped off and the barren earth has been covered with pine straw.
An underground pump system has been installed, but on Thursday the pump did not appear to be activated, although a temporary pump had been set up.
Residents are still scratching their heads over an enormous metal control box that has been installed near the pump.
“We might as well put a bullseye on it. Golfers will be hitting that big metal box and we will be living with the noise,” said resident Tim Collins, who has appeared many times before PWAC, pleading for the job to be done properly.
Collins said he was informed that the height of the large metal control panel was dictated by the 100-year flood plain. However, Collins and other neighbors pointed out that the transformer relaying power to the panel is lower and the transformer will be underwater in the event of a 100-year flood.