Since it was first approved in 2017, the Windward Pines housing development at the Bay Pointe Club hasn’t completed its first phase of construction. 

Now, by holding $21,500 of the developer’s funds as a bond, the town wants to make sure the project gets done. 

“I’m tired of dealing with this developer,” said Planning Board Member Sam Corbitt at a Monday, July 8 meeting.

A bond is money put up by the developer and held by the town, to be released back to the developer once the town deems the work complete. 

Bay Pointe still needs to do $21,500 worth of work before Phase 1 of development is complete, said Director of Planning and Community Development Ken Buckland. 

That $21,500 covers two items, said Planning Board Chair Carl Schulz: The first, 14 boundary markers; The second, “as-built” plans, which show the project in its completed state. 

However, once the Planning Board gets the “as-built” plans, they may show other items which need to be addressed, said Schulz. 

While there are only two items remaining from Phase 1 of development, town officials and Bay Point residents have raised issues with other parts of the project as well. 

Schulz said the inspections on the entrance to Bay Pointe Drive have not been properly completed, nor have the inspections on the golf course clubhouse parking lot. However, it was unclear to which phase of construction those items belonged, he said. 

Other aspects of the project have been challenged by citizens. Most recently, Bay Pointe Drive resident Ayres Souza sent a letter to the Planning Board complaining about the current state of the golf course.

According to Souza, “vital components of the golf course, namely the driving range, and practice putting green have been eliminated, and ... the reconstructed tee existing as a sand berm and not as a completed tee as prior to the development.”

Souza states that less than 18 holes of the golf course have been available for play since the latter part of 2022, which he claims to be a violation of the zoning bylaws.

The portion of the Wareham zoning bylaws which applies to Bay Point Club states that a project such as Bay Point “must include an existing or proposed regulation 18 hole golf course, par 70 or higher and meet the minimum lot size requirements.”

According to Schulz, a Planning Board consultant reviewed residents’ concerns and found that either they had been resolved or they fell outside the scope of Planning Board review. 

In addition, Wareham Building Commissioner Paul Turner, who enforces the town’s zoning laws, inspected the golf course and found that it met requirements, said Schulz.