The Closing of Countryside

As is widely known now, a majority of City Council decided last week that continuing the operation of Countryside as a golf course is not in the best interests of the taxpayers of the city. This was a tough decision but a necessary one.

Countryside was purchased in 2005 with the idea that higher end housing could be built, offering more diversity in housing and increasing property tax revenues to the city. There were few responses to Requests for Proposals seeking developer/builders that could create this new housing, and so the course has remained in operation for the last several years.

Recently, the existing operator of the course and the city were in negotiations to try to come to an arrangement to continue operation of the propoerty as a golf course. I did not agree with the idea of putting $1.5 million of capital improvements into the course and continuing to operate it at a significant annual loss to the city. This yearly loss, of course, did not include the more than $400,000 a year in debt service payments for the purchase of the course.

While I fully realize the short-term negative feelings that closure of the course brings to a group of residents that play the course, I truly believe that in the long-term the repurposing of portions of the property into actual park space will be of greater benefit to the community. As is, residents living near the course cannot use the property recreationally unless it is for playing golf. By repurposing portions of the course into a park, more residents will be able to take children or grandchildren to enjoy the green space.

To those who this long-simmering decision impacts, I am hopeful that the long-term use of portions of the property as a park will bring more enjoyment and use, and will be of significantly less cost to the taxpayers throughout the entire community. At the very least, a decision has finally been made and the community can continue on with the knowledge that Council made the responsible decision, particularly in light of the enormous budgetary pressures the city is facing.