Ready to cut golf losses?
A door-to-door survey, commissioned by city officials as part of a biannual "Decisions" study, shows 57 percent of 400 surveyed residents support selling the course if it continues to be a financial burden.
Fifty-nine percent of residents said they'd like to keep the course if it doesn't cost money. Twenty percent of residents said they support selling the land either way.
"A majority of residents want to get rid of the burden that's on them," said Cedar Hills City Councilman Jim Perry. "A slight majority also prefer to keep ownership of the golf course if that burden can be lifted."
Residents are committed to pay $15.60 per month on a $250,000 home for the next 20 years to pay off a debt the city incurred to provide the course. The city owes about $7 million, including debt services, for a bond debt it took on to support the course.
"Sentimentally, the asset is worth quite a bit more money than we owe," Perry said.
The city has been looking at other options that could possibly help pay for the debt, but hasn't made any decisions yet.
When polled, 68 percent of residents said they support that option, while 24 percent oppose it.
The city has also has received proposals from at least a dozen private entities who have offered to purchase the course in one form or another. One of those investment offers came from as far away as China, said Cedar Hills city manager Konrad Hildebrandt.
The offers have so far been preliminary, Hildebrandt said.
"As appealing as (an offer) may or may not be, until we get to a point where we feel we can put it out to a (request for purchase) it's just another option," Hildebrandt said. "It may be a viable option, but the city can't comment on what's good or bad until we do that."
Hildebrandt said he expects the city will put out a request for purchase within the next year.
In the meantime, the city listened to another purchase proposal Tuesday night.
Joe Strom, representing himself and a business partner in a company called Rost Investments, expressed an interest in purchasing the golf course, as well as nearby Alpine Country Club.
Strom's idea is to combine both entities' golf courses into a 36-hole golf course and build an upscale fitness center at the country club.
The proposal is in a very early stage, Strom said.
"We're eager to help Cedar Hills out of their situation, but I also know there's a lot of politics involved," Strom said. "My goal is to buy the golf course and make it a better place ... without selling off a bunch of land for development."
E-mail: achoate@desnews.com
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