Property owner unhappy with Jaguar's Lair agreement

Cas Kacala, one of Jaguar’s Lair’s most vocal property owners who has spoken at several town council meetings, has taken issue with the town’s new agreement with Coastal Companies approved in December.

Laura Lewis

Property owner Cas Kacala stands in front of the old Angels Trace clubhouse that is now part of Jaguar’s Lair. Kacala said the developer informed the Brunswick County Board of Equalization and Review in June 2011 the clubhouse was beyond repair and needs to be demolished.

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While the agreement outlined a work schedule for Section 1, he said it failed to address still-inaccessible sections 2A, 2B and 2C in Jaguar’s Lair, which he claims comprise the majority (92 percent) of the community’s total unfinished infrastructure.

“Mr. Kacala is, as usual, incorrect,” Jordan said. “The development agreement does address Section 2 in that it clearly stipulates that the parties shall ‘negotiate in good faith to reach an agreement’ regarding new completion dates for Section 2 by Aug. 15, 2013.”

Jordan responded Kacala is “intentionally and grossly distorting facts that are easily discernible. Approximately half of all Ocean Ridge Phase VI platted lots will have 100 percent completed infrastructure in 11 months—not the 8 percent that Mr. Kacala misrepresents.”

Kacala said equipment previously at Jaguar’s Lair has recently been removed—a sign, to him, indicating infrastructure work will not be resuming or continuing there anytime soon.

Jordan said significant road construction was recently completed.

“Foolish conjecture about heavy equipment moving in and out of large construction projects does not merit a response,” she said.

Kacala expressed concern recent foreclosures filed on other Saunders properties are an indication little-to-nothing will get done in Jaguar’s Lair in the coming year as outlined in the new agreement with Sunset Beach.

 “There have been no foreclosures on any of ‘Saunders properties,’” Jordan said. “There has only been a filing for a foreclosure hearing—a common lender tactic in today’s economy—on a small handful of individual properties that have nothing to do with Jaguar’s Lair/Ocean Ridge.”

Town responds

Sunset Beach Town Councilwoman Karen Joseph, who has been serving as a board liaison on the committee working to resolve issues with Jaguar’s Lair, also responded this week to Kacala’s concerns.

Before the town and Coastal Communities entered into negotiations on an agreement last year, resulting in work actually being done in Jaguar’s Lair, “the property was stagnant for years,” Joseph said.

That left the town with two choices, she said—“negotiate to get work moving or call the bonds and essentially shut down the project while litigation dragged on for years and at great cost to both the town and Coastal Communities. The latter choice was one the town council felt was unacceptable and quite frankly bad business and bad government.”

Joseph said the agreement establishes “a mutually agreed upon completion date for all work in Section 1 no later than Dec. 31, 2013. Dwelling on the past does nothing to move this project forward.”

Joseph said engineer estimates and bond information show the estimated cost of Section 1 infrastructure is $1,234,541. The total cost for all Jaguar’s Lair sections—1, 2A, 2B and 2C—is $3,021,213.

“Therefore, the infrastructure in Section 1 is 41 percent of all infrastructure, in all the sections involved in the town of Sunset Beach subdivision improvement agreements currently held.

So, while progress has been slow, by the end of this year 41 percent of the Jaguar’s Lair infrastructure will be installed,” Joseph said.

Joseph said the estimated cost of Section 1 roadwork is $600,000, adding the agreement does not need to reference construction details such as the laying of asphalt. Those details are in supporting engineering details referenced in the agreement, she said.

“As everyone knows, the road leading up to the Sweeney house is complete, i.e., it has asphalt,” Joseph said. “Rather than project a negative outcome, we prefer to take a positive approach.”

Asphalt will not be installed until the entire infrastructure is completed, Joseph said.

“At that time, they may only put the first coat of asphalt on until all infrastructure is finished in the remaining sections,” she added.

All 114 owners in Section 1 may apply for a building permit now, Joseph said.

Homes, she said, can be built without the asphalt.

“The important point is, Coastal Communities will install the first coat of asphalt on or before Dec. 31, 2013, in Section 1,” Joseph wrote.

As for Kacala’s comments regarding other sections of the project, “as stated in the agreement, negotiations to address those sections will commence,” Joseph said. “We intend to reconvene in the near future, and we will work to reach another fair and equitable agreement on behalf of the property owners.

“Most important of all, however, is the fact that numerous property owners may now obtain building permits knowing that Section 1 will be complete by the end of the year. That is progress. Had the Town called the bonds, absolutely nothing would change in Jaguar’s Lair for years to come.”

Laura Lewis is a staff writer at the Beacon. Reach her at 754-6890 or email llewis@brunswickbeacon.com.