The Savannahs at Sykes Creek Homeowners Association Inc. (HOA) is a Florida Not for Profit Corporation, registered since 1989, and contains 286 homes . The HOA is managed by a 5-member Board of Directors who are supported by a professional property management company and retained legal counsel. Public HOA Board meetings are held frequently throughout the year with elections in November.
As a result of the county reverting ownership of the golf course, and related assets, to the HOA in 2018, the common areas owned by the HOA have expanded.
The HOA now owns all the property on both sides of the entrance to the neighborhood where our community signs rest, the public park land referred to as “Dolphin Park” which includes a gazebo, tennis courts, playground and attached parking lot at the end of Sand Ridge Drive. Other components of the same parcel include the maintenance building at 3910 Savannahs Trl, the clubhouse building at 3915 Savannahs Trl, and over 101 acres of well manicured land currently configured for operating as a golf course (Parcel: 24-36-01-OK-3).
Also a small strip of land running down the east side of hole 15 (Parcel: 24-36-01-OK-4).
Additionally, the HOA owns a small plot of land attached to the golf course behind the homes at the end of Sunset Ridge Drive (Parcel: 24-36-12-OX-C).
The front entrance also has a large and small island of land with a gazebo that separates the traffic lanes and was owned by the HOA since 1989 (Parcel: 24-36-01-OK-2 & 24-36-01-OK-9).
HOA assessments are collected to support the costs related to owning the common areas and operating the association itself. The following are some of the costs themselves; property management fees, legal and accounting fees, landscaping, utilities, insurance, and property tax for common areas. As referenced in our Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions, assessments are used for the maintenance, improvement, or enhancement of landscaping, entrance irrigation system, signs, structures, lighting, and any other common area needs including private easements, retention ponds, and related infrastructure. These costs are are organized in annually approved budgets available on this website.
The HOA owns all the assets or “common areas” mentioned above. The amount of common area owned by the HOA expanded dramatically in 2018 when the county reverted ownership of the golf course to the HOA. The base cost of owning these common areas can be significant and would include things like taxes, insurance, landscaping, utilities, building maintenance, etc. These costs to the homeowners would be far greater than the HOA assessments currently budgeted.
By operating a golf business, the HOA is able to leverage the common area assets to generate revenue. This revenue would help to defray the cost of ownership to the HOA. Of course a golf business would generate its own expenses related solely to the operation of this activity. But revenue in excess of these expenses would play a meaningful role in supporting the overall cost reduction of maintenance and improvements to our property and common area infrastructure.
The Savannahs Golf Club is owned and operated by the HOA as a d.b.a. The HOA Board of Directors contracts with a General Manager (Erik Anderson) to manage the day to day operation and growth of the golf business. The Savannahs Golf Club employs over 40 staff to support the pro shop, golf operations, course maintenance, and to operate the local pub.
The short answer is no, the HOA does not own the restaurant business operating in the clubhouse. The restaurant currently operating in the clubhouse is called Carter’s Grille. Even though the HOA owns the building, the kitchen and all the equipment, we do not own the restaurant operation itself. The HOA contracts with a concessionaire to operate a food service out of the kitchen. Revenue for food sales is paid to the concessionaire in accordance with our concession contract. Drink revenue is owned by the golf business which operates the pub itself and is not included in the concession contract.
An income statement is a financial report used by the HOA and any other business in existence. It tracks the organization’s revenue, expenses, gains, and losses during a set period. Also known as the profit and loss (P&L) statement or the statement of revenue and expense, for the most part it may provide valuable insights into a organization’s operations, the efficiency of its management, underperforming sectors, and its performance relative to industry peers.
In an HOA, the concept of Profit and Loss is diminished when only viewed on a monthly basis. The HOA does not earn significant revenue every single month like a typical business. It’s collected in chunks throughout a few months of the year. Yet, the HOA has expenses, every single month. So depending on the month you review for an Income Statement, the HOA may show significant profit, or significant loss. Reviewing the income statement over the course of the year, and keeping an eye on the bank balances should provide sufficient insight into the financial health and operation of the HOA.
For our HOA, we also own a golf business. We operate this business as a separate activity and keep separate accounting for it, even though it’s technically just another account in our HOA books. Since the golf business is something that behaves like a typical business, the monthly Income Statements do a good job of showing the revenue and expenses for the month. Some months will be stronger in peak season, while others may be weaker like during summer months. But reviewing the Income Statements over the course of the year, and keeping an eye on the bank balances should provide sufficient insight into the financial health and operation of the golf business.
Being a cyclical business throughout the year, some months will show a positive net result while others will show a negative net result for the month. Reviewing an income statement, and seeing a loss or a profit, simply reflects the sum of revenue minus expenses for the month. The golf business may lose money in slow months, but may have a positive bank balance saved up from the peak in-season months of positive revenue.
Visit the Architectural Review Committee page found here.
Details on the Savannahs mailbox policy is provided on the Architectural Review Committee page.
General and contact information about Merritt Island mosquito control can be found by clicking here.
Wild pigs, one of our local “critters,” are commonly seen in and around the Savannahs. They are non-native animals and are often guilty of causing considerable damage to private and golf course properties. Sometimes referred to as wild boars, feral pigs were first brought to Florida in the 1500’s by the European settlers and continued to be imported for many years. These pigs were raised semi-wild and were allowed to mix with truly domestic pigs from Europe until the mid-1900’s when free-range pigs became illegal. This practice resulted in a prolific feral and hybrid population of the large animals (males average 200+ lbs, are 3 feet tall, and 5 feet long and have four large tusks) capable of plowing open wide swaths of turf when feeding. It is legal in the State of Florida to hunt feral hogs, but only with the landowner’s permission. Live pig-trapping is another option for dealing with feral pigs. The Savannahs has a cooperative program in place with a licensed trapper, who has placed wire cage traps on Savannahs property to help reduce our local population of feral pigs. The program has been successful in reducing the damage from these wild pigs and keeping residents safer. For your safety, if you see a female pig with her piglets, stay well away as they can be very aggressive. If you see a feral hog or experience damage to your property, you can report it to the HOA Board who will contact the trapper.
For kids playing on the golf course during golf course operating hours the pro shop should be contacted and provided with details of the issue. If it’s after golf hours, or does not involve the golf course, contact the HOA Board and try to provide as much detail as possible. Especially the identification of the offenders. Then the board can determine a course of action. If the board doesn’t know who the offenders are it will be difficult to take any sort of action.
The Clubhouse can be used for most private functions, such as wedding receptions, family reunions, social gatherings, and similar special events. The Clubhouse would generally not be available during prime golf course play hours for a private event. To inquire about the suitability and availability of the Clubhouse to meet your function’s needs, contact the Clubhouse at 321-848-0582. To inquire about having the restaurant support your event, please reach out to Carter’s Grille directly at 321-468-3014.
Any Savannahs resident is welcome to join our dedicated group of community volunteers. Volunteers are always needed. There is a myriad of ways you can help, from landscaping projects, to maintaining existing common property, to participating in HOA committees, to supporting golf tournaments and special events, and more. You may donate your time and expertise entirely at your convenience, so if you would like to be considered, please reach out to the HOA Board.
With the county reversion of the golf course to the Savannahs HOA in 2018, The Savannahs’ Park, known as Dolphin Park, became part of the Savannahs HOA common area property. As an HOA-owned property it is not technically open to the public. However, the policy of the HOA Board of Directors is that in order to encourage a positive public image about the Savannahs we will support public use of the park.
There are a number of places in the neighborhood where tree branches and shrubbery obstruct the safe passage of pedestrians on the sidewalks. It could be quite dangerous at night, in particular. Please inspect your property and make sure your plantings are compliant, and trim them if necessary. Trees hanging over the sidewalk into the street can become a hazard for our county-maintained roadways. The county has come through the neighborhood and trimmed trees back from the road in the past. The work was not done with aesthetics in mind, so it’s best to trim your own trees.
Savannahs homeowners receive discounted rates on golf course green fees and on purchases at the Pro Shop. Inquire at the clubhouse for our current discount programs.
Pets that are allowed by county ordinance, in city communities, are also allowed in the Savannahs. Cats and dogs kept by Savannahs homeowners must always be restrained by leashes or fences when outside. Pet owners by law, if not simple courtesy, are required to pick up after their pets. This is a perpetual issue, and we do hope that you will take it to heart and not leave your mess for a homeowner or their children to discover the hard way.
Fishing is not currently allowed in the ponds and lakes throughout the Savannahs, by residents or non-residents.
The current policy is that no person is allowed on the golf course except for golfers who have paid to play. Only golf carts rented from the course by players are allowed on the course and its cart paths (i.e., no private carts allowed). The rationale is that in addition to the cart paths being in poor condition for walkers, we want to encourage great experiences for returning golfers and make sure their play is not impeded by having to worry about residents walking the pathways. With any guidelines about the use of the golf course, keep in mind that any disruption of a golfer is a potential lost customer and a hit to our ability to generate revenue.
Savannahs Communications is an email service managed by the HOA BOD’s Communications Committee that was implemented years ago to help keep Savannahs homeowners informed on matters pertaining to the community, as well as to receive emails from homeowners who have questions or suggestions or need assistance with community issues. If you haven’t already signed up, it’s easy. Just send an email to savannahscommunications@gmail.com with your name and address and request to be added to distribution.