Countryside Still Looking For Answers

Chris Chittum with the “Newbern Plan.”

Neighbors want to call it “Victory” golf course – reminiscent of the Victory Stadium saga that consumed council elections for ten years. “It sure feels like another deterioration scheme,” said Susan Hall who lives on one of the fairways.

The three-hour open house Tuesday at William Fleming High School was a chance for neighbors to add comments on their respective locations dotting around the defunct golf course. Countryside’s fate was sealed in a city council closed session “show of hands” in February. According to Mayor David Bowers, he was the one dissenting hand that day.

Sallie and Larry Fogle purchased their home on the tenth fairway in 2009 shortly after they were assured the golf course was secure. That was when five of seven council members voted to give Countryside a try with an investment of $1.5 million in repairs. The Fogles soon became another victim of council indecision they claim as the course was shut down just a few months later.

Chris and Doreen Morris who brought son Conner in a stroller were disappointed with what they saw. They expected something more concrete. The sliced up property sections on boards had mainly possibilities in text on each side. The uses ranged from multi-family, retail, commercial, single-family, swimming pool, walking trails, ball fields, churches, community center, an equestrian jump and golf.

Each resident was given sticky notes for comments. Not surprisingly the majority had “golf course” or “18-hole golf course” plastered on the boards. Several comments said to partner with William Fleming high school and include additional recreational opportunities. One comment said, “it was a complete waste of time.”

Members of council dropped in – all except Mayor David Bowers and Vice-Mayor David Trinkle.

There was one bright spot. Jess Newbern, III owner of the Trane building on Frontage Road, had an idea drawn by architect Ray Craighead. It lay on a table but was spotted and overrun with sticky notes that said “good idea” and a “great start.” On this rendering there was a twelve-hole golf layout.

Sharon Blevins didn’t care for the commercial or open street that would bring Hershberger Road traffic through to Peters Creek. Her street and five others would connect to it per the Newbern plan.

Tom Carr, Director of Planning listened to a “golf rater” associated with a golf magazine for about an hour. He wanted to remain anonymous but lamented over the golf course closing refuting the figures on an easel showing a list of golf courses in the red. He suggested finding “a first-class architect like Tom Doak and hiring him. Bite the bullet and invest some money in the golf course.”

Carr explained that city council charged them with “if not a golf course then what’s plan B.”

The golf course was purchased in 2005 for $4.1 million with Toll Brothers Construction pulling the plug on their interest in development in 2006. Another developer’s plan was rejected in 2007.

City Planning Administrator Chris Chittum said they will put all the comments together and present it to city council on September 20 at 2:00 p.m. Council will set the direction for the next round of planning. General consensus is that execution of any plan will depend largely on the health of the economy and the land will likely remain dormant for several years.

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