I got this email from Miles of Golf in Ann Arbor:
Miles of Golf Needs a Favor.
The City has narrowed its options on Huron Hills Golf Course to three. We need our customers to weigh in on these options and make their opinion known to City officials. If you do not make your voice heard, there is a very vocal group of Huron Hills neighbors that will influence the decision. If you are unfamiliar with the Huron Hills issue, please go to http://www.milesofgolf.com/blog for more information.How You Can Help.
Miles of Golf believes it is important for the City officials to hear points of view from more than the Huron Hills neighbors. This is not a neighborhood park, but a 116 acre city park that should meet the needs and wishes of the whole community not just the immediate neighborhood.You can help by emailing the City officials and/or by attending city meetings that will address our proposal regarding the future of Huron Hills.
Email to City officials. Please send an email to the Ann Arbor City officials stating your opinion on the City’s three options. Your response can be as brief as “I support
” or you can elaborate.
For a quick and easy way to email City officials, use this link: City Officials Emails
Huron Hills Options:
1. The City could continue to operate Huron Hills as an 18 hole golf course. The City estimates the cost to subsidize the course will be $200,000-$300,000 per year.
2. The City could reach a public / private partnership agreement with Miles of Golf to move the Miles golf center to Huron Hills and operate the golf course as a 9 hole course. This agreement will widen the appeal of Huron Hills to all golfers and provide income for the City. (The amount of this income will not become public knowledge until the City evaluates the proposal content without the financial details. At some point, the income to the City will be known).
The City received a second porposal from the Huron Hills neighbors to continue to operate the course as an 18 hole golf course. This proposal has been rejected by the RFP Selection Committee. We have heard objections to our proposal and many of them are just not factual. Our proposal for Huron Hills calls for NO perimeter fencing or netting, NO pole lighting, NO earthmoving to flatten the topography, and NO huge or inappropriate buildings. The group says that they want to preserve a historic golf course designed by a famous golf course architect. NONE of the holes designed by Tom Bendelow exist anymore.
The City will not just hand Miles of Golf the keys to Huron Hills and say do as you please. Any agreement with the City will contain language that will protect the the interest’s of citizens. It will truly be a partnership.
3. The City could look for alternative non-golf uses for the property. To date, the Parks and Rec. Department has been unable to find an alternative use that costs less than the subsidy for golf. Even if the park is basically left fallow, there are significant costs, including mowing, tree trimming, litter control, etc – but no revenues. It is important to note that options 2 and 3 are not mutually exclusive. Option 2 will not utilize all of the current land leaving space for non-golf uses like a community garden.
If you really want to get involved, there are three review meetings prior to the City Council receiving recommendations on the Miles proposal. If you think you can attend any of these meetings, just email us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and we will send you the times and locations.
Thanks for listening. To quote from our proposal, “If the City chooses to develop a private-public partnership with Miles of Golf, it has the potential of making Huron Hills, an under utilized golf course, into a successful, innovative, and spectacular golf facility, one that will add to the quality of life of our community and help City finances.”
Miles of Golf
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I am torn on this issue. I do not like the idea that the City will make an “end around” with the City Charter. A year or two ago voters passed an amendment that requires voter approval of any sale of park land. Of course, the Mayor and Council have seized on the loophole of long term leases to avoid taking this to the voters.
I also like the course and played there several times this year (most recently on 11/28). It really is a neat little course, especially the back 11. Ideally the City just would continue to support the course, just like they do all the “Nature Areas”, tennis courts and neighborhood parks that generate -0- revenue.
Huron Hills will never break even with all the other local competition. The non-profit group’s proposal essentially counts on saving maintenance dollars rather than increasing revenue. If they are selected, one can expect the course to start a downhill slide as far as conditioning. It won’t be long before the City has to rescue the situation.
The Miles of Golf scenario makes the most sense from a money and golf standpoint. However, my gut tells me this is a real steal for Miles if they get what they want. Talk about a prime location!
I guess I will just have to stand on the sideline and see what happens.