Henderson County's plan to purchase Highland Lake Golf Course and convert it to a soccer complex and public park appears to have hit a major roadblock.Read it all--NOW (and thank you, Dennis).
Flat Rock Mayor Bob Staton said Tuesday that zoning laws do not allow for a soccer complex to be built on the golf course, and the village would have to approve a conditional-use or special-use permit if the 65-acre property is to be used for any purpose other than a golf course.
Staton said the village's attorney advised him of the requirement late last week, and Staton sent an email informing Mike Edney, chairman of the county Board of Commissioners, of the issue on Sunday afternoon....
But according to Staton, a decision on the park won't be made, or even considered, until village officials receive a special-use application.
"We don't have anything to decide," Staton said. "Nothing has been presented to us for a decision."
He said the property is zoned as low-density residential, with the permitted use being half-acre, single-family homes. The village annexed the golf course at the request of property owner Course Doctors Inc. about five or six years ago, Staton said, and a conditional-use permit was granted to operate as a golf course only.
Conditional uses can include parks, Staton added, but any other nonconforming use requires a separate conditional or special-use permit....
Qualifying for a permit could be a lengthy and challenging process, since a number of provisions are considered for approval. The "most bothersome" with regard to the proposed soccer complex, Staton wrote to Edney in his email, is the requirement that the nonconforming use of the land be "harmonious" with the surrounding area....
A call to Edney for comment late Tuesday afternoon was not immediately returned.
According to Staton, applications for conditional and special-use permits are filed with the village zoning administrator and must be accompanied by a site plan, working drawings, specifications and other documentation. When the zoning administrator is satisfied with the submission, Staton said, it then goes to the village planning board for review.
After its review, the planning board can make a recommendation and forward the application and documentation to the council for consideration. A public hearing is required before action will be taken by the council....
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
** Breaking ** "Mayor: Flat Rock zoning doesn't allow for soccer complex"
Posted this evening online at the Times-News (I'm assuming it will be in the print edition tomorrow):
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Might I say HooRah! We have won a battle, but not yet the War. Write Mayor BOb and Councilman Farr and thank them for their stand...But lookout, they will return en force to try again. Be diligent!
ReplyDeleteThe good:
ReplyDeleteNo large multi-field soccer or sports complex off an already well-traveled narrow winding road entering Historic Flat Rock.
The sad:
Elected Henderson County Commissioners spent $5,000.00 of non-refundable (taxpayers) money on land which they should have been aware had strict zoning restrictions already in place.
The outcome:
Soccer families are left a bitter-taste in their mouths thinking Flat Rockers are anti-soccer or anti-child.
The fact:
There are always too sides ... so let's remember to respect differing opinions of one another without gloating too much.
The quote:
Never ASSUME anything!
Commissioners, Course Doctors Inc and all if us should break down the word and remember there is always possibility of "egg-on-the-face".
The concern:
Why was the "deal" kept so secret since many in the "soccer family" were in the loop?
Thank you. I am thankful that this group formed. Frankly, the plug is about to be pulled on this debacle.
ReplyDeleteAs a Fletcher taxpayer, I cannot help but think of the Aesop fable of the dog with a bone in his mouth, seeing his reflection in a stream and ended up losing the bone he had for the bone he saw.
The soccer community HAD an opportunity to pursue a soccer complex in Fletcher, where the community WANTED them. They had acquired the land under ArvinMeritor and had several planning meetings over the years. They gave the soccer community a sweetheart rent deal.
But because the HCSA couldn't raise money, and they saw a chance to have a clubhouse for their headquarters, they spurned Fletcher taxpayers and tried to get this deal, wanting taxpayers to pay for this.
The 10-year cost projections, factoring in lost property tax revenue, upgrades, maintanence, etc. could have easily been $2.3 million.
From my studies, to buy a golf course privately, one would need 40-50% of the money to get a private loan for the rest. To run this operation privately, the HCSA would have had to raise about $800K-$1.1M.
They wouldn't do that if they could. The complex was going to bleed money and they wanted taxpayers to eat the losses.
There have been many failures that have to be called out:
ReplyDeleteFrom Chairman Edney, who called this a "no-brainer." Either his staff could not figure out this complex couldn't work under zoning rules and quietly killed this proposal before it went public, or he ignored their input.
From Commissioner Messer, who did not represent his district by trying to shepherd Henderson County to give a $500-600K grant for the ArvinMeritor site. Messer also voted for the soccer complex boondoggle in Flat Rock against his own district's wishes. He has to go.
From Fletcher, sorry, but they should have put a sign saying "Coming Soon: Parrish Park" (after our first Mayor) after the ArvinMeritor land was obtained, laying out a psychology of inevitability. They shouldn't have been embarrassed like they were, but there were things they could have marketed better. It is hard to believe taxpayers want to work with HCSA now.
From the HCSA and the Parks and Recreation Department, sorry, they sound like the same organization. The fact there is a "liasion" on the board of directors for the HCSA who happens to be the P&R Director when the HCSA is NOT a government or even a quasi-government organization, explains the "accidental" e-mail bomb. Here's a clue: The Director's position, in every department, is whatever position the County Commissioners decide it is. There are conflicts of interest that have to finally be spoken out about and addressed.
To the media, who dared used the word "NIMBY" in their editorial to try to put concerned taxpayers vs. little kids. Sorry, until or unless the money was absolutely there, that's an insulting word to people who were blindsided with this. No, they were right and you were wrong.
Now the question will be what happens after the plug is finally pulled? I don't think the people who cut to the front of the line should have the primary or even secondary input now. Soccer is not a monopoly over recreation options.
The people who offered $5K to pay the option fee, well, now legally they won't have to pay it since the land is unusable according to zoning rules, and morally they shouldn't have to either.
We do need to improve our recreation infrastructure. Dramatically.
Don't punish children for the stupidity and arrogance of their parents. Save that $5K for a donation for what may come later.
Now hopefully, finally, some of the ideas I had presented, mainly, putting in artificial turf at high schools and really renting them out on weekends and summertime, where there are already lights, parking, bathrooms, concessions, security, etc., make some sense.
Some will say we don't have money for that either, and that's fine. But we don't have money for both.
90% of something for everyone is better than 100% of nothing for everyone.
All Sports > One Sport.
Thank you.
www.hendersoncountyturf.com
Is the underlying message, "sorry Chairman Edney, this deal is toast"...? Just doesn't seem like there is any way the county could execute a contract to purchase with all those contingencies in place.
ReplyDeleteTom Brown makes a great point though, have to keep the surveillance up, and the pressure on...
...because it is readily apparent that "disclosure" isn't something that the Flat Rock Council considers important.
Now, how do we go about keeping the golf course open?