The Prince George Golf and Curling Club came one step closer to being sold on Monday.
City council approved an amendment to the Pine Centre Neighbourhood Plan, which includes the club, Prince George Playhouse, Roll-A-Dome, Pine Centre Mall and Pine Valley Golf Course.
The amendment designates a 1.64-hectare area - including the Prince George Playhouse - at the corner of Highway 97 and Highway 16 a no-development zone.
"The [neighbourhood] plan was adopted on Nov. 29, with an amendment for a no-development zone. That amendment wasn't as clear as we'd like, so this was brought forward to clarify it," city long-range planning manager Dan Milburn said. "What it looks like is the existing uses, the playhouse and the landscaping, will continue to exist and won't be developed."
The Prince George Golf and Curling Club has been trying to sell the site since 2005, after mountain pine beetles killed the pine trees on the course.
The R.J. Cooper Group, a consortium of local investors, has offered to purchase the club -- pending approval of an acceptable neighbourhood plan.
"These changes, they don't impact anything significant. The developers have said the playhouse is not an issue anyway," club president Kevin Bowman said. "It's up to the developers now to spend a bit of time and decide if they have a viable project."
The neighbourhood plan covers a 94.3-hectare area, including the 56.9-hectare golf club. Under the plan, 17 hectares will be allocated for townhouses, apartment condos and seniors housing.
Also included is a 3.35-hectare expansion of Pine Centre Mall, 24.4 hectares of commercial and mixed-use developments and 7.6 hectares of parkland.
The clubhouse would remain in place and eight tennis courts would be moved to its west side. The centre piece is a 5.2-hectare central green which would act as a focal point for the neighbourhood. A drawing shows a circular water path and a small water park.
Bowman said until the club can sell its current golf course, it will not have the funds to construct its planned new course off of Foothills Boulevard on the north side of the Nechako River.
"To be able to make the move, we have to make the sale," Bowman said. "Until that happens, we're in a holding pattern."
