The conversation over what to do about golf courses in Oro Valley turned heated on Wednesday July 31, during a Special Meeting of the Oro Valley Town Council.
Council members Rhonda Pina, Steve Solomon, and Bill Rodman were described as “bullies” by a number of attendees.
The controversial purchase of the El Conquistador golf courses from Humberto Lopez’s HSL Properties, by the Town in December 2014 has fractured the community while costing taxpayers millions of dollars for upkeep.
The purchase was so unpopular that it led to an overhaul of the Council by residents in the 2018 election. Then Mayor Satish Hiremath, and Council members Mary Snider, Lou Waters and Joe Hornat were ousted by voters and replaced by challengers Joseph Winfield, Melanie Barrett, Josh Nicolson and Joyce Jones-Ivey.
Currently, the Mayor and Council have three options in front them: 1) keep the current 36 holes, 2) change to a 27- or 18-hole configuration, or 3) completely close the courses and convert it to natural open space or a public park.
HSL could lease back the nine holes at Pusch Ridge in order to maintain its resort status.
Residents living along the golf courses have been vocal in their opposition. However, the vast majority of residents support closing the courses and converting them to managed open space or a public park.
On Wednesday, Solomon proposed a motion to continue operation of the El Conquistador Golf Club 36-holes, as is. But Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett countered with a motion to table that discussion, which passed.
The Council has held several Study Sessions and other public meetings to evaluate options to reduce the ongoing golf losses incurred by the Town. Over 700 people attended the July 24 meeting.
Town Manager Mary Jacobs’ analysis that developing and maintaining open space would cost the Town as much as operating the 36 holes of golf drew criticism.
Golf Course Repurposing
Jacobs used input from WLB and Wilder Landscapes Architects to develop a cost of $14,800 to $20,000 per acre to repurpose golf holes to natural vegetation for irrigated open space acreage. Jacobs used $15,000 per acre in her analysis.
For public park space, Jacobs based her calculations on a range of $50,000 to $100,000 per acre for irrigated open space acreage.
Jacobs’ figures to maintain the re-purposed open space: $4,889 per acre for the 1st five years, and $2,361 every year thereafter. Over her assumed 10-year period this would cost an average $3,625 per acre or $161,000 per year for the 44.5 acres.
It’s no wonder that Jacobs’ numbers’ are viewed with skepticism when you compare them with Pima County’s costs for repurposing the Canoa Hills Golf Course.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to accept the donation of the closed Canoa Hills 18-hole golf course in Green Valley in April 2018. The Green Valley News reported that it would become a Pima County Park, citing an investment of $90,000 to re-purpose the 130 acres or $700 / acre. Using Jacobs’ $15,000/acre Oro Valley estimate would be $667,000 to repurpose 44.5 acres.
Pima County estimated $100,000 to maintain the 130-acre park or $770/acre compared to Jacobs’ estimate of an average $3,625 per acre. The Oro Valley open space maintenance cost is more than 4 1/2 times the Pima County maintenance cost estimate for Canoa Hills.
While Jacobs’ figures are wildly inflated, even at an inflated rate, open space management would cost a fraction of managing the golf courses.
Some members of the Budget and Finance Commission and Town Council question the numbers.
Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett questioned what an “appropriate” amount of tax subsidy to the golf courses would be for a Town the size of Oro Valley. Barrett studied 25 other cities and towns with municipal golf courses and found that they all spent less money on golf than Oro Valley.
“Granted there are some nuances to the way that these courses are operated, they have different water prices, some are operated as enterprise funds, some are leased, some have restaurants and some don’t, but the bottom line is there’s 25 courses that are owned by these municipalities,” explained Barrett, who also noted that Oro Valley spends more on golf than all the municipalities Arizona combined.
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Summary: Oro Valley Town Council Special Session – July 24, 2019 – Part 1