The Leesburg Shuffleboard Club is suing the city, which decided last month to close its shuffleboard courts and donate the land to a nonprofit that helps house homeless young adults.
A complaint filed on Sept. 4 alleges that the city of Leesburg unlawfully gave a city-owned park to a private entity.
On Aug. 26, the city commission voted 4-1 to donate the land that is now part of the Palmetto Street Complex, which houses the shuffleboard courts, to the nonprofit Forward Paths Foundation.
The lawsuit argues that under Leesburg’s charter the city must get voter approval before it can convey public land to a private entity, which it did not do.
City officials said they would not comment on pending litigation. They are in the process of transferring the 1.7-acre plot of land to Forward Paths. The courts will permanently close on Nov. 7.
Forward Paths plans to build 10 small cottages on the site, which will be offered rent free to at-risk young adults, many of whom are aging out of foster care, homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. It operates a similar group of small homes in Eustis.
Denise Burry, executive director for Forward Paths, could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.
“It would be better if everybody was happy about the outcome,” Burry said after the August meeting. “So it’s always a little hard, you’re happy that you’re victorious but you know people are walking around with hard feelings and that’s not what we’re about.”
Anthony Sabatini, a Lake County commissioner and a far-right conservative, is the attorney representing the shuffleboard club. He blasted Leesburg’s decision on social media.
“Corrupt politicians give away our taxpayer money, green spaces, & public parks—in order to make room for more Section-8 style housing for ‘disadvantaged communities’,” he wrote on X this week. “I SAY HELL NO!”
The city’s shuffleboard courts were built in 1971 and have been home to the Leesburg Shuffleboard Club since 1985.
Rick Tallman, who plays in the club, said without the Leesburg courts the club will have little choice but to disband.
“We’re not against youth housing. It just doesn’t make any sense at all to destroy an operational facility with active members,” Tallman said.
Dozens of people on both sides of the issue showed up at the August meeting and gave more than an hour of emotionally charged public comment.
Those in favor of the housing plan argued that supporting at-risk young adults is a better use for the land than shuffleboard. The city-owned complex incudes shuffleboard courts, tennis courts and some vacant land. The shuffleboard courts are in disrepair, officials said, and don’t get much use by Leesburg residents.
Club members pleaded for commissioners to understand the impact shuffleboard has had on their lives. Many of the elderly players said the game helps them stay mentally and physically sharp and offers a sense of community. “If this goes through and we lose those faculties, what will they offer seniors?” Tallman said.
They also said that even if they do not all live in the city, they often spend money there when in Leesburg to play. The court also hosts statewide tournaments, which also bring people, and dollars, to the city, they argued.
Sabatini was at the meeting and urged commissioners to find another location for Forward Paths’ housing project.
He accused the city of pitting the shuffleboard players against Forward Paths and creating a “completely false dichotomy that doesn’t need to exist”.
But most of the commission felt that the Palmetto Street Complex was an ideal location for the housing project since it is within walking distance to schools and businesses where residents could get jobs.
“I bought into it being a good location after I tried to push them to about six other sites around town,” said commissioner Mike Pederson.
In the meantime, the courts will host three shuffleboard tournaments before they close.
Tallman said the shuffleboard club includes members who are veterans and seniors living with disabilities. Closing the court, he said, is a “slap in the face” to those seniors.
“It’s disrespectful. It’s totally wrong.”
