The Flat Rock Village Council voted unanimously Thursday morning to move forward with negotiations to buy Highland Lake Golf Course and develop it as a passive park.Read it all.
The vote was unanimous after all seven council members expressed support for the plans. They said an analysis by vice mayor Nick Weedman suggesting there would be no need for a tax increase was one factor.
“I think we all realize that this is a paradigm shift in village policy and over the next two or three years, the torch is going to pass to a new generation of Village leadership and I’m encouraged by the fact that that generation has had a part in the planning for this park,” said Councilman Ron Davis.
“It’s clear to me,” said Councilman Jim Wert, “that a majority of the folks favor pursuing the park idea. I think a key point for me was the analysis Councilman Weedman did on the taxes, (showing that) we should be able to support the development and maintenance of this park without the consideration of a tax increase for several years.”...
"Notwithstanding Councilman Weedman’s excellent work I don’t personally want to and I don’t think that the council wants to promise that there will not be a tax increase," Davis said.
Weedman agreed, saying this council cannot bind future councils to any action.
"I am in favor," Weedman said, though "not without some trepidation, because we are opening a door to the unknown. Who knows how this thing is going to go in the future."...
The council went into a closed session to discuss a price the village would offer to owners of the property, Jim Sparks and Tom Davis and their company, Course Doctors. The land has been on the market for $1.3 million but council members have said they thought they could pay less than that. The Henderson County Board of Commissioners had tentatively agreed in the fall of 2011 to buy the land for $1.1 million before the county scrapped that deal....
UPDATE: Also from the Times-News:
Calling it a “paradigm shift” and a “big step out of the box,” Flat Rock’s village council unanimously agreed Thursday to move forward on purchasing the Highland Lake Golf Course for a municipal park.Read it all.
By a 7-0 vote, members approved Councilman Dave Bucher’s motion that the village authorize the mayor to negotiate a purchase of the park in a closed meeting with principles of Course Doctors Inc., which owns the 66-acre property.
Council members acknowledged there are still unanswered questions about the cost of operating and maintaining the park, but chose moving forward over further analysis since the subject has been thoroughly vetted over the past six months....
Immediately following the vote, council went into a closed session to discuss the terms and price of its offer to Course Doctors. Council members were not expected to disclose their offer until it’s presented to the owners, Staton said, perhaps on Friday.
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