In July 2018, LOVE reported that since at least December of 2017, Council Member Steve Solomon, via his development company, Canada Vistas, LLC, was in escrow to purchase property along the 17th and 18th holes of the Town-owned Canada golf course.
This property is known as Parcel 9B. Zoning could allow condos or townhomes on this property.
Council Member Solomon can’t offer golf-course-view condos on property that no longer contains golf course views.
We ask: Could this be why Council Member Solomon has remained in escrow on this property since late 2017? Has he been waiting for a town council decision on the golf courses?
The Canada Course will either remain a golf course or become a linear park. As a Council Member, Solomon will vote on this, isn't he therefore conflicted? Because of necessity, he will be considering the financial impact of any option on his potential purchase and development of 9B.
Council Member Solomon in July of 2017: Must maintain "open natural desert"
At the July 12, 2017 Golf Courses Study Session when the town council was discussing the possibility of closing one or all of the golf courses, Council Member Solomon said:
“We have to be very sensitive to what happens to the areas that we no longer use as golf courses, because you’ve got homes backing up to these areas…We have an obligation to maintain, at minimum, an open natural desert setting for those homes.”However, since being in escrow to purchase land along the golf course, Solomon has been advocating solely for retaining all 36 holes of golf. There is no more talk from Solomon of returning it to a natural desert environment.
Timeline and Paper Trail
LOVE has obtained email exchanges that took place in December 2017 between employees of Northwest Management Company. This was the management company for the Canada Hills Villages HOA at that time. These emails contain the following information:
- Dec. 18, 2017: “The board has asked me to find out who is purchasing the 9B piece of land owned by HSL. I know A.F. Sterling backed out but there is talk now that it is being purchased again. Can you tell me who the purchaser is?”
- Dec. 22, 2017: “We did receive the demand for the 9B parcel of land. I did speak to the title company and they did give me the contact information for the buyer. He is a licensed realtor. His name is Steve Solomon from Canada Vista Homes, LLC.”
- January 4, 2018: Solomon communicated with the controlling HOA of Canada Hills informing them of his purchase of property on the Canada Course and his desire to meet with both the Master HOA and the sub-HOA’s to discuss design and approval requirements
- January 26, 2018: “I just wanted to touch base and follow up with you regarding Canada Vistas and Village 9B. It was interesting to learn from Steve that they have the property in escrow.” This email also discusses development possibilities including 40 condo units in ten 3-story buildings that would sell in the $300,000 range and 26 two-story townhomes that would sell in the $400-500,000 range.
- June 29, 2018: Solomon replied to a question that he indeed still owned the property and that it was in the early stages of development.
- LOVE is also aware of a Canada Hills HOA meeting in April 2019 where the management company specifically mentioned that “Steve’s property” is still in escrow.
Tomorrow in Part 2: Council Member Solomon claims that there is no conflict
