Council Gives Revised Golf Cart Ordinance Initial Approval

A revision to a city is one step closer to becoming a reality.

The Temple Terrace City Council had its first reading Tuesday of the measure that would expand the use of golf carts on city streets.

A second and final public hearing is expected to take place at the next council meeting May 1. Anyone is allowed to speak on the matter.

Currently, golf carts are only allowed to be driven to and from the , although city residents have complained that other citizens, including children and teenagers, are driving the carts recklessly on city streets.

During the public hearing Tuesday, Richard Diaz, a Druid Hills Road resident, said he’s seen an increase in golf cart violations since he moved to Temple Terrace two years ago. He said he recently saw a man driving a cart with one hand while he held a small child on his knee with the other.

Temple Terrace Patch reader commented that she has seen carts full of kids driving through the streets.

Under the rewritten ordinance, golf cart owners would have to annually register their carts with the city in order to drive them on city streets. Registration would cost $10 per year.

Drivers would have to possess a valid driver’s license and obey all the rules of the road. Golf carts would have to meet basic equipment requirements, such as having adequate brakes and steering. Carts would not be allowed on sidewalks.

During a in January,  Director Charles Stephenson said the area that carts would be allowed stretches south of Fowler Avenue to the Hillsborough River and east of 56th Street to the Hillsborough River.

At that time, council members said they had concerns about the area in which golf carts would be allowed. They noted that residents of Raintree, located north of Fowler Avenue, wouldn’t be able to drive carts through their neighborhood, for example.

They also said they had concerns about the $10 fee, as the Temple Terrace Golf & Country Club already charges a $20 annual fee for carts to drive on its property. They said they didn’t think it would be fair to charge golf cart owners an additional fee.

City staff talked with the city’s and departments, as well as Shaun McCormick, general manager of the Temple Terrace Golf & Country Club, to address the council’s concerns.

Stephenson clarified the area in which carts would be allowed to drive Tuesday, saying that carts could be used on all city streets, but could not cross county and state roads, such as Fowler Avenue and 56th Street. Raintree residents could drive carts in their neighborhood, but they could not cross Fowler.

Stephenson also recommended that the city charge the $10 fee in addition to the golf club’s $20 fee.

“After several discussions with the club—Mr. McCormick at the club—it’s been concluded that the two fees assessed by each entity are unrelated and really cannot be easily co-mingled from a county standpoint or a paperwork standpoint between the city and the club,” Stephenson said. “The club and staff requested we keep these registrations separate for the time being.”

Stephenson also said the Code Compliance Department would be the primary enforcement agency, issuing citations to ordinance violators. Police officers would also issue citations if they see violators during patrols or if Code Compliance is unavailable.

Also during the meeting, the council and Mayor Joe Affronti:

• congratulated the Public Works Department on the city’s ;
• approved a resolution urging tobacco retailers to help stop the sale of candy-flavored tobacco to children and teens after hearing a presentation on the subject;
• made two proclamations: one regarding Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the other regarding Municipal Clerk’s Week;
• reminded the community that the will take place April 27-28.