Front Page || Main Index || Corpus Christi News || Business || Texas || Sports || Entertainment || Selena
Thursday, Sep. 10, 1998
Goose Island pulls itself out of the weeds
Buried by the '80s oil crunch, subdivision's rebirth starts with a new golf course
By DAVID SIKES
Staff WriterLAMAR -- Under a tangle of weeds and briars covering a remote wooded area of northern Aransas County were nine holes.
And there will be again.
After nearly 20 years, T.J. Shank, an Austin developer, is reviving Goose Island Lake Estates Country Club and subdivision, which was a casualty of the oil crunch.
``The underbrush was so thick we had to tour the fairways in a four-wheel-drive truck,'' Shank said. ``And then we had to kick the raccoons out of the clubhouse attic. But look at it now.''
Scenic golf greens are broken by trees, ponds and creeks. A clean white clubhouse welcomes guests to the pool and tennis complex.
Aransas County officials and Lamar residents see the revival as a symbol of economic growth and prosperity in an area that has grown a house or two at a time.
The area is home to Goose Island State Park, St. Charles Bay and the Big Tree, a 1,000-year-old live oak tree -- believed to be one of the oldest in the nation -- that attracts hundreds of tourists a year. But few of them stay.
``We don't mind having a few more neighbors,'' said Betty Stiles of Lamar. ``We like sharing this beautiful area.''
Lots in the subdivision, renamed Buccaneer Bay Resort, are selling, and the public golf course is scheduled to open mid-month, said Harold Hattersley, the club's director of golf operations. Marketing efforts will target upper middle class baby boomers from Houston, Austin and San Antonio who want weekend or summer homes away from the city.
Shank expects the 103-acre subdivision, about half of which he owns, to become a combination bedroom community, retirement village and resort. Once the area catches on, Shank believes small businesses will open to support the population boom, he said.
Rockport residents Judy and Tom Garcia purchased a spot in the secluded neighborhood north of Copano Bay and are thinking about building a home.
``We're excited about the golf course whether we build a home there or not,'' Judy Garcia said. ``We think it's a great idea to revive the country club and we're glad people are discovering the area.''
John and Sylvia Gonzales have lived practically next door to the country club's clubhouse for nearly 10 years, hoping for its revival. They've seen the neighborhood go from a sparsely populated retirement village to a growing baby-boomer community.
``It's going to be wonderful neighborhood, with more younger families and kids,'' Sylvia Gonzales said. ``We've seen it change in that direction already. The country club was ugly for so long. It's about time somebody fixes it up. It's a beautiful piece of property.''
Gonzales said she doesn't even mind that a property tax increase is sure to come as the area gets more popular and home values rise.
County officials say they welcome the added revenue.
``There's always been a house built here and there because the area has such appeal,'' said Precinct 4 Commissioner Larry Barnebey, whose district includes Lamar. ``But it's just recently that we've seen this kind of money invested out there. It's long overdue. I hope it succeeds.''
Shank also has planned a 120-unit RV park, a 20-room motel and a townhouse complex on the fringes of the golf course.
The club includes a swimming pool, tennis courts, weight room, showers, hot tubs and saunas. Private bungalows are planned.
Shank has spent about $1 million on renovations and plans to spend at least another $1 million.
About 200 homes are planned for the area, which features underground utilities, a water/sewer system and curbs and gutters left over from the previous development, which went bankrupt in 1995 after years of financial headaches.
The previous owner, Joseph Conlin of New York, abandoned the venture in 1979. He turned over the club to the property owners association, which could not sustain it.
The club and many homes were repossessed for nonpayment of taxes. Conlin had created a utility district, planning for hundreds of residents to share the cost of installing utilities. But because of the oil crunch, fewer people bought in and those who did paid higher taxes and utility bills than they could handle, said Aransas County surveyor Terry Brundrett.
Much of Conlin's property stayed on the market for years.
Shank and his wife, Carol Shank, recently bought about a third of the property for $50,000, plus delinquent taxes.
Shank said his instincts say the time is right for such a development.
Could be, said Tommy Griffith, Aransas County surveyor from 1961 to 1995. Griffith believes the original development was ill-conceived.
``It was a subdivision put in before its time,'' he said. ``There was nothing much out there. They thought people from San Antonio and Dallas wanted to live in the country. But then the oil crunch hit.''Post your comments about local news eventsFront Page || Main Index || News || Business || Texas || South Texas Outdoors || Birdwatching || Sports || Entertainment || Selena || Education || South Texas Attractions || World Wide Web