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Update:

Pine Ridge POA Appeal

Positive First Step

We wanted to share encouraging news about our ongoing appeal to overturn the BOCC’s August 26th decision. The Circuit Court Judge reviewed our filing and ruled that our case is not frivolous and has merit. This means the court recognizes that our arguments raise legitimate legal issues that deserve to be heard.

The Judge has now ordered both Citrus County and Southern Oaks Property Group (the developer) to provide written responses within 30 days. This is the first procedural hurdle in the process, and clearing it is an important step forward.

What this means:

The court found that Pine Ridge’s Petition for Writ of Certiorari demonstrates a valid legal basis for review under Florida appellate rules.
The County and Developer must now formally respond and justify why the BOCC’s ruling should stand.
After those responses are submitted, Pine Ridge will have the opportunity to reply, and the court will decide whether oral arguments are needed before issuing its ruling.

We will continue to keep the community updated as this process moves forward. This is an important early victory and it reinforces that defending Pine Ridge’s Master Plan and long-term property protections is both justified and necessary.

Together, we are protecting not just the golf course property, but the integrity of our entire Master Plan and the property values of every homeowner in Pine Ridge.

Update:

Pine Ridge POA Appeal

Dear Fellow Members,

The Pine Ridge Board has approached negotiations with DIX Developments in a professional, respectful, and businesslike manner. At every step, our goal has been clear: to protect the interests of this community and to pursue a fair path forward.

Unfortunately, Mr. Dicks has taken a different path, using ads, postcards, and staged rallies to cast doubt on our Board’s transparency while portraying himself as the reasonable party. That is simply not reality.

DIX’s initial offer was the golf course plus $650,000 in exchange for unrestricted development at Amber Ridge and Black Diamond Reserve. Our independent consultant, a seasoned professional, analyzed this proposal and identified what a fair agreement would require: proper compensation, enforceable protections, and safeguards such as setbacks, buffers, and safe access for Pine Ridge residents.

This is not unreasonable. It is standard, customary, and fair in any business environment.
When Mr. Dicks bought these properties, he accepted the restrictive covenants. He knew they existed, he agreed to them, and he benefited from a lower purchase price because of them. Now, he seeks to discard them at our community’s expense. That is neither fair nor acceptable.

Despite our good-faith efforts, Mr. Dicks has publicly declared he will not consider the fair offer we have put forward.

To the PRU Group and to all residents:

Please understand what has truly been happening. For nearly two years, we have been limited in what we could share while negotiations were ongoing. But make no mistake, we have been working for you, and for Pine Ridge, in the most responsible way possible.

Now, with Mr. Dicks refusing to entertain fairness, the only path left is unity. We must defeat this application. Pine Ridge deserves dignity, respect, and fairness, not pressure from an overzealous developer seeking one-sided gains at our community’s expense.

This is the moment to come together, as one community, and show that the “sleeping giant” of Pine Ridge is wide awake. Stand with us. Protect our future. Demand justice.

Last updated 7/21/25 3:52 pm

Letter from PRBOD's

July 16, 2025

Dear Fellow Association Members,

Your PRPOA Board hopes this communication finds you well and provides some insight into two of the hot topics we’re currently working on: the Settlement Agreement and the golf course property. The January 2000 Settlement Agreement and its 5 amendments restricts uses of the approximately 147 acres of Amber Ridge West that is between the YMCA and Pine Ridge Blvd on Rt 486, and the approximately 85 acres of Black Diamond Reserve between Mustang Blvd and Black Diamond. The golf course property is approximately 222 acres that was the Pine Ridge Golf Course that Mr. Dicks purchased and is requesting to change the usage from Recreation/Golf Course to Residential.

Regarding these and all other topics, this Board is doing its utmost to further the goals of our governing documents and exercising our fiduciary responsibility to preserve the value of the community. We will provide additional updates on these efforts as events unfold.

As you may have seen on NextDoor, our consultant, Pine Ridge Community Partners (PRCP) recently delivered a term sheet to Mr. Dicks. They have been pursuing a face-to-face meeting with Mr. Dicks for more than two months. The Board approved their delivery of the term sheet via a letter of "unanimous written consent" which is a method recommended to us by our attorney. The term sheet is explicitly non-binding, and a way to open discussions. As with most negotiations, there will likely be several rounds of modifications before reaching agreement. Each subsequent offer and counteroffer will come to the Board for approval and/or modification before being transmitted to Mr. Dicks and each will continue to be non-binding.

Looking back at the original January 2000 Settlement Agreement restricting the use of the two properties, it was approved by the then Board of Directors without a membership referendum, as were the five amendments to it. Now, in 2025 our membership consists of more resident owners, more involved members, and the changes being considered are more substantial than what were contained in the previous amendments. At this time, definitive answers cannot necessarily be given until more details are known. However, as stated in a membership-wide message sent in March via CINC, "We have begun the process to engage subject matter experts to advise the board in responding to our neighbor’s request and will ensure that any agreement is shared with membership prior to binding action being taken."

We urge you to review Exhibit A of the term sheet that was presented to Mr. Dicks, available on the PRPOA member portal under “Documents/Settlement Agreement”, paying particular attention to the Use Restrictions and Physical Restrictions for each parcel. That is where you’ll find the "WHAT" that is the substance of what we're proposing. The previous pages are more about "HOW" the business could be conducted moving forward once the WHAT is defined. Again, both the what and the how will likely be changed several times before an agreement is reached.

Regarding the golf course property, since 2020 each PRPOA Board has opposed residential and other development on the Pine Ridge Golf Course property. Our attorneys and other experts advised that any change to the land use could be detrimental to the Association's members by undermining the protections we have had in place for over 50 years. Past and current boards have actively responded by forming and reaffirming the charter for a committee to address the issue and provide information to the Board and members.

With kind regards,

Tom Russell, President

John Hyde, Vice President

John Stripp, Secretary

Bob Farmer, Treasurer

Sue Wassermann, Director

UPDATE

GOLF IS IN A RENAISSANCE AND SURGING

IN THE UNITED STATES AND FLORIDA

Contrary to what both the PDC and BOCC were advised under oath, the game of golf is not in a decline.

Exacerbating this falsehood was a PDC member who reiterated his own stale experience. Golf is on the

rise and in 2025 has had an $8.2B Economic Impact in Florida. The attached material is self-explanatory

Renaissance.

Click anywhere on the page below to go to the National Golf Foundation website and get up to date information about Golf