A Tuesday decision by Columbus Country Club stockholders may lead to a fourth property option for Columbus and Lowndes County officials looking to construct a six-field soccer complex.
During a special meeting, country club stockholders voted unanimously to offer nine of the club”s 18 golf course holes to city and county officials to use for the proposed soccer complex.
The nearly 70-acre plot encompasses current golf course holes 10-18 east of Military Road, and stretches from Military Road”s intersection with Ridge Road nearly to Wilcutt Block Road.
“It was a tough decision, but it was the logical one for the Country Club,” said Don West, a member of the club”s board of directors. “We think this could really be a win-win situation for the club and the county.”
City and county officials may add the Country Club land to a list of properties being considered to house a six-field soccer complex.
Officials currently are considering a more than 70-acre plot in Columbus” Burns Bottom area near the Hitching Lot Farmers” Market on Second Street North, a 156-acre tract of land near the Columbus Riverwalk and a 50-acre plot near the Highway 82 Macon-Meridian exit.
Area economic development officials since June have been seeking property options from 31 Burns Bottom landowners, and are expected to report their findings to the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors during the next few weeks.
The decision to offer the club”s back nine holes to the county came in the face of sharply declining membership at the longtime Friendly City establishment, West explained.
“In the last year, we”ve lost 80 members,” West said. “Golf clubs everywhere are facing a major struggle with the economy right now, because country club membership is one of the first things people give up when money gets tight.
“This certainly isn”t our only option, but the club felt it was the right thing to do to offer the land to the county first,” West added. “We felt it was the most logical decision to benefit both the country club and the county.”
West praised the golf course land, saying it offered the “best location in Columbus” for the soccer complex, easy access to utilities and would require “far less” preparation work than the other three properties under consideration.
The Country Club official also said the land would offer easy access to Highway 82, close proximity to hotels and restaurants and several other benefits.
“There are 3,000 feet of concrete paths already running through the property,” West said. “And you could access it from Military Road and Cleda Drive, because the property connects to both roads.”
Though Country Club officials have offered the land to the county, they have not yet placed a price tag on the property. During the next few weeks, the Country Club will seek an “unbiased” appraisal of the property before presenting a cost to the county, West explained.
Because West delivered the land proposal to the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors within the past 48 hours, a few supervisors Wednesday afternoon admitted they had not gotten a chance to “thoroughly review” the land.
“I would reserve any comment until I get a chance to look at the feasibility of the property and talk directly to someone in an official capacity with the Country Club,” said District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks.
Though District 1 Supervisor and Board President Harry Sanders and District 2 Supervisor Frank Ferguson said they had not reviewed the proposal, the two seemed to be split on the property newcomer.
“I”m not excited about Burns Bottom, and I think this property would be better than Burns Bottom,” Ferguson said. “I think we definitely need to take this property under consideration and see if it fits in budget wise.”
Sanders said he would continue to support the county”s pursuit of the Burns Bottom property.
“Unless something comes along that prevents us from getting the Burns Bottom land, I would say we are pretty much committed to it,” said Sanders. “But of course I haven”t been by the courthouse yet to look at the package Don West left us.”
Because a few other entities also have expressed interest in the Country Club land, West said there would be “no hard feelings” if the county voted to not purchase the land.
“You”ve always got to have options, and we have about two or three other than the county right now,” West explained. “It is a big sacrifice to sell the back nine, but we have to seriously look at doing something to keep the Country Club where it is right now.”
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