Much has been said, written and published about the situation at Twin Lakes in recent weeks. Most of it has been helpful in making a decision on the amenities program. I do take issue with the partial, misdirected and wrong information that has been used.
My understanding is the term “open space” is a classification used by the King County Assessor in Seattle to set tax rates on properties in King County. He does not set zoning on properties.
Zoning of properties within Federal Way is done by the Federal Way Planning Commission. They have designated the Twin Lakes Golf Course as RS72 single family dwellings. This means the golf course can be plotted and single family homes can be built.
Some suggestions have been made that the golf course could be maintained as a park. Anybody who has lawn service knows lawn care is expensive. The greenskeeper at Twin Lakes estimates to cut the course once a week, fertilize and water, it would cost $325,000 a year. That is $234 per home in Twin Lakes per year. This estimate does include any clean-up that may be required.
All real estate values in Twin Lakes are influenced by the golf club. It is very difficult to set a percentage or a dollar loss on our real estate if the golf club fails in light of the economic situation and interest rates. Granted, that influence goes down as you move away from the course. The area would change if the golf course fails, and we wold all lose value on our real estate. The amounts vary, but Mark Templeman, owner/broker of Twin Lakes Realty, estimates it would be significant.
There has been some question about the homeowners’ liability if the club fails. Under the amenities program, the homeowner is not buying a proprietary membership in Twin Lakes Golf Club. They have no minimums to meet or other requirements. The Twin Lakes Homeowners Association collects the $25 per month, then transfers it to the golf club. If after a period of time the golf club fails, the HOA stops collecting the money and the arrangement is self-liquidating.
Any increase in the $25 per month is covered in the amenities agreement and should be minimal amounts. There can be no increase for two years. Any increase thereafter is capped at the lesser of the Social Security cost-of-living allowance (COLA), or 5 percent.
We all purchased our homes in Twin Lakes for different reasons. The area is well defined on the map, but it does not have a social hub. There are many things and activities we could do to enhance the area. I believe this is the last and best time to improve community relations for our Twin Lakes area. I recommend a strong yes vote for the amenities program to create a better community.
Dean McMullen, Twin Lakes