BY DENNIS HARTIG
VIRGINIA BEACH – An offer to buy and reopen the defunct Signature at West Neck golf course was shot down earlier this year by the owner.
The offer and its rejection was disclosed in a statement sent to community residents via email and provided to The Independent News on Monday, July 31, by Jonathan Skinner, president of Harrison and Lear.
The Peninsula company hopes to develop the former course for a new community with 153 homes on about 20 acres and open space for passive recreation on the remaining 180 acres.
Skinner said in his statement that West Neck leaders and residents are mistaken in thinking that a “viable” offer is under active consideration. This happened in a recent briefing during a meeting of the West Neck Community Association, Skinner said.
Skinner said an unsolicited offer was submitted in May and rejected. That same month, Skinner discussed plans for the new community, which would be called Signature Meadows, during an interview with The Independent News.
“At the time the letter of intent was rejected,” Skinner said in the statement, “the owner made it clear that there would be no further discussions with this group regarding a sale of the property now or at any point in the future.”
The property is owned by JBWK, LLC. A Florida resident, David LaClair, is its sole partner, according to court records. Skinner declined to disclose who made the offer and for how much during an interview with The Independent News.
Any misunderstanding was unintentional, according to an update provided to residents of communities neighboring the former golf course following Skinner’s note.
An investor group including some residents of the Indian River Plantation community, which like West Neck is near the former Signature course, presented an offer and had been believed to be awaiting a response, according to John Sancilio, the chair of an ad-hoc Indian River Plantation committee on the course which is not connected to those who sought to make the offer.
Tom Luckman, vice president of the West Neck Community Association, passed along Sancilio’s comments to West Neck residents on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
“Contrary to what a vocal few have promulgated, this owner/operator group’s [offer] illustrates the return of the golf course is possible,” Luckman wrote. “I encourage all homeowners to ‘stay the course'”
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There has been so much misinformation coming from certain members of the West Neck Board of Directors that the community-at-large is confused. The owner of the property rejected the offer described in this article in May, and yet it was presented to our community nine weeks later as a “viable” offer and the solution to restoring the golf course. People are holding on to a hope that the Signature Golf Course will be restored but I do not believe that it will ever happen.
Who are you John, what part of West Neck Village do you represent? Are you a resident here of West Neck Village? I do not mean this in a sarcastic way. I’m merely trying to find the truth of what is going on. Thanks.