Neighbors against Collier County developing newly bought land

A vast space of land. A golf course officially owned by the county. Commissioners are voting unanimously to buy the Golden Gate Golf Course. It is a step homeowners in the neighborhood are worried about.

“This is one of the things that nobody wants around,” said Marco Gonzales, a homeowner in Golden Gate.

That is development. That is the plan, now that the county owns the land. The county will hear out several infrastructure options whether it is a Veterans Affairs nursing home, housing or government buildings.

Homeowners like Gonzales, who built his home in 2016 precisely because it is near the course, said their county should keep the green space in its current form.

“If they build like a park or community park or something like that,” Gonzales said, “it would be really nice for the people.”

The county will maintain the property for the time being. But Gonzales hopes until investors come forward, commissioners think about the future of the community.

“We don’t have any parks or anything around here,” Gonzales said.