UPDATED BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
City commissioners unanimously passed a vote to revisit the conversations to sell the Capital Circle Country Club.
Near the seventh hole of the country club lie unmarked graves where historians estimate as many as 200 enslaved people are buried. For generations, the site has gone without formal recognition or protection.
The city currently owns the land, but commissioners are considering an agreement to transfer 178 acres of the property to the private country club without a competitive bidding process.
The proposed agreement also includes plans to build a memorial at the gravesite, funded with an additional $98,000. Construction on that could be completed within eight weeks.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Commissioner Jacquline Porter introduced a motion to revisit the discussion at the next city commission meeting after about 16 residents voiced concerns about the sale.
That includes Delaitre Hollinger, the president of the National Association for the Preservation of African American History and Culture.
“There were a lot of people tonight who I think really hit at the conscience of our elected leadership, and my prayer is that they will continue to listen to the public and that when this does come back up for a vote that ultimately we do not sell our land to the country club,” Hollinger said.
Dr. Marlon Williams-Clark, president of the Tallahassee NAACP, also spoke out.
“On top of that is a long racist history with that particular club...In 1956, when federal judgment came down to desegregate public spaces like this golf course, we had members in this community at that time who came up with the deal to turn it into a private club to get around the desegregation,” Williams-Clark said.
Community members also raised concerns about a clause in the agreement allowing the club to remove the memorial at any time. If that were to happen, the city would be responsible for relocating it, and the agreement would be terminated.
The next city commission meeting will be held on November 19. At that meeting, city commissioners will have a discussion about the financial options available on that piece of land.
UPDATE:
On Wednesday, City Commissioners voted unanimously to revisit the discussion about the sale of the Capital Circle Country Club.
The decision came after about 16 community members spoke against selling the club, saying they want it to remain publicly owned.
The next City Commission meeting is scheduled for November 19th, when commissioners will discuss financial options for the property.
Original:
Tonight, City Commissioners will decide whether or not to sell Capital City Country Club land to the club's private owners. The club wants to own the land to make improvements to its infrastructure, attract investors and more members.
Since 1953, the club’s private owners have been under a land lease with the City of Tallahassee.
Last month, commissioners approved a second appraisal of the land, which was originally valued at $1.15M. The second appraisal showed the property is valued at $1.25M.
The agenda states there are two options for commissioners to vote on.
Option 1: Approve the sale with the following pros and cons:
Pros:
- Implements in perpetuity protections that do not exist under the current lease, including restrictions, easements, zoning changes, and covenants to assure community priorities, including perpetual use of the golf course, public access, and perpetual right of way for the memorialization of historic slave cemetery and the site of unmarked graves.
- Enables access to capital in support of the Country Club’s objective and agreement with FAMU to upgrade the course for collegiate championship competition.
- Provides funding for the installation and maintenance of the commemorative burial site.
Cons:
- Foregoes future Commission ability to consider golf course operations alternatives in 2055.
Option 2: Provide alternate direction to staff
Many people are against the sale due to the unmarked graves of slaves discovered in 2019 by the National Park Service.
The meeting begins at 3:00 p.m. at City Hall. WTXL ABC 27 will have a crew there and will provide any updates.
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