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Friends stand up for Pine Valley at council meeting

One by one, representatives from six user groups at Pine Valley Golf Centre pleaded with city council on Monday night to keep the par-3 course off the auction block.

One by one, representatives from six user groups at Pine Valley Golf Centre pleaded with city council on Monday night to keep the par-3 course off the auction block.

From affordability of the course for juniors, to accessibility for seniors and Special Olympians, to the ease of supervision for school groups, to the health and wellness benefits to the community, the Friends of Pine Valley made their pitch.

"There's no other course in our city and surrounding area that can allow the wide variety of users to use it," the group's spokesman Don Chamberlain said. "If you go out there in the mornings when golf season starts you're going to see seniors who ride a cart, hit the ball, ride a cart, hit the ball, they get up to the green and use their cane or crutches to putt. They can't do that anywhere else."

One of the recommendations from last year's core review includes closing the city-owned course and using the land it sits on near the intersection of Range Road and Highway 16 for commercial development. A preliminary report to council in December suggested the proceeds from the sale could net the city upwards of $17 million.

Chamberlain told council his group believes there's enough surplus land in the city already to accommodate commercial development for years to come.

Monday's presentation at the public council meeting came after the Friends of Pine Valley met with councillors individually or in small groups in recent weeks to press their case, including a 90-minute meeting with Mayor Shari Green.

Chamberlain said some councillors appear to be supportive of his group's position, while others seem keen on closing the course and selling it. He's unsure if there's enough support around the council table to keep Pine Valley open.

"I think it's been quite encouraging with what some of the councillors are saying. They're not going to tell us how they're going to vote, but at least they are listening," he said.

The gallery at the council meeting was standing room only on Monday night, with a significant chunk of those in attendance there to support the Pine Valley presentation.

According to the group, last year there were over 12,000 rounds played at the course and that number has held steady for the past three years.

"I defy any of the other golf courses in town to say that their usage has remained stable over the last three years, it's gone down," he said. "North American wide it's dropped."

With an aging population, Chamberlain believes some stability over the future of the course could translate into even more use in the coming years.

Among the ideas the group presented to council was adding a driving range to the site in order to generate more revenue.

The issue isn't expected to come before council until June, but since it involves a possible real estate transaction, the first set of hearings will occur behind closed doors. After discussing their options, council will have the ability to bring some of the deliberations forward in a public meeting, if they so choose.

Coun. Cameron Stolz assured the group that as soon after a decision is made during the closed meeting, the result will be communicated to the public as quickly as possible.