Golf club is worried by $40m housing land idea
A proposal to sell half of the Fitzroy Golf Club’s course for a residential development will be discussed by the New Plymouth District Council in the next few months.
And the plan has golfers worried, club president Mike Earley said.
‘‘We are concerned. And we’d be extremely disappointed if the lease isn’t renewed.’’
The club leases its land from the council and during his election campaign last year now-mayor Neil Holdom spoke about his idea to sell off some of the land, which he estimated would raise about $40 million.
This would reduce the golf course to nine holes.
The proposal hasn’t been before the council, but will be included for discussion in its Long Term Plan, which has to be finalised by June, 2018.
Earley said he was asked to a meeting with Holdom and the then-acting chief executive, Alan Bird.
‘‘At this meeting the mayor set out his desire to raise $40m to help fund council projects and top up the perpetual investment fund.’’
Holdom told him one of a number of proposed options included the partial sale of land currently occupied by Fitzroy Golf Club, Earley said.
The club’s lease doesn’t expire until 2023 and the club had not received an option to accept an early termination of the lease, he said. ‘‘We’ve six years to go, so anything can happen.’’
The club is looking at creating a community sports hub in Fitzroy, Earley said. ‘‘We think we’re in a prime position. The walkway goes past the golf course.’’
The club has been in operation for 85 years and he’d like it to be there for another 85, he said.The club has 250 members and large numbers of casual players.
Holdom said the New Plymouth District Council owns the Fitzroy Golf Club.
‘‘One of the things we are looking at is how we might fund some of the required infrastructure without simply asking rate payers to fund it. So at a high level [we] are floating this concept of looking at developing half of the land the golf club sits on into a subdivision.’’
Half the proceeds from the sale of sections would pay for future capital projects and the other half would be reinvested into further land for development, Holdom said. ‘‘For every dollar the council makes, 50c would go into new walkways, a water reservoir, or other community assets. And the other 50c would go to buying other land so creating a perpetual wealth fund and offsetting rates increases.’’
It’s still at the conceptual level, he said. ‘‘It’ll be in the Long Term Plan and people will have opportunity to have their say. I’m just putting up options. It’s my view we can’t keep hitting ratepayers up for everything.’’