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The lawns of the National Croquet Center were opened for play on December 2, 2001, and were used continuously until February 9th, when the Palm Beach County Zoning Division ordered play to cease. This was reported in a press release dated February 10. The following press release has been issued to present a fuller and more balanced accounting of the facts and conditions which prompted the closure.

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The Croquet Foundation of America would like to clarify a few issues inaccurately and incompletely reported in a press release sent to croquet publications on February 10, 2001, announcing the closure of the National Croquet Center lawns in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The Palm Beach County Zoning Division did, in fact, order the cessation of play at the Croquet Center. Their action, however, was due to the failure of the Croquet Foundation of America to comply with various required conditions placed on the CFA at the time the County Commission in 1999 approved the development order for the site.

Several of these conditions had not been met when play commenced on the Center's lawns on December 2, 2000. This resulted in a formal notice of violation and the eventual postponement of play on February 9th. Since February 9th, there has been no play or membership activity of any kind on the lawns of the Center.

On February 21st, CFA President Chuck Steuber, CFA consultant Geoff Sluggett, and the Palm Beach County Zoning staff met with Palm Beach County District 2 County Commissioner Carol Roberts to discuss the completion of the outstanding conditions of approval in an effort to get the facility up and running once again. Some of the required conditions currently being addressed are:

• Construction of a temporary clubhouse/office.
• Relocation of access to the site.
• Paving of parking areas.
• Construction of required landscape berms adjacent to neighboring residences.
• Amending of landscaping requirements and conditions.
• Construction of water and sewer lines.
• Construction of required pedestrian facilities.