A Standoff in a Citrus Grove: Why Florida Homeowners Are Fuming Over New Golf Course in Their Neighborhood

In Naples, FL, the South Naples Citrus Grove—selling fresh-squeezed juice, orange-swirled soft serve, and just about anything else you can make from citrus fruit—has operated on Sable Palm Road for decades.Nearby, black bears and Florida panthers amble through protected state forest. For those who walk and drive these roads, the area’s bucolic setting was a huge selling point for visiting and living in the area. But the citrus grove business has plans to close its doors in the near future, and the battle over what happens there next has set off numerous heated neighborhood planning meetings, with no clear resolution in sight. A developer is now seeking to rezone the land and build a private golf course—in a state where adjacency to high-level courses can spike home values. For those opposed to the development, it’s something of an existential fight. “If they do rezone the land, and turn this agricultural land residential, I’ve thought about this long and hard—I’ll move,” says local Gwen Ransone. “All I’ve wanted in my life is just peace and quiet. If this comes to fruition, all I will hear is trucks and cars.”Loading...Commissioner Rick LoCastro’s office shared this image with loca...