The Pine Centre Neighbourhood Plan approved by city council in February makes the sale of the Prince George Golf and Curling Club economically unviable, according to developer Robert Cooper.
On Sept. 12 Cooper - owner of the RJ Cooper Group - wrote to city council requesting the amount of park space in the plan be reduced. The R.J. Cooper Group had offered to purchase the club pending approval of an acceptable neighbourhood plan.
"The revised [neighbourhood plan]... has 18.6 acres of parkland, and a tennis court and clubhouse allocation of 8.8 acres for a total of 27.4 acres," Cooper wrote.
"The RJ Cooper Group has consistently maintained through the [neighbourhood plan] process that began in 2007 that a normal five per cent (seven acres) parkland and three acre trail way network dedication is viable, and has negotiated a purchase agreement with [Prince George Golf and Curling Club] on that basis.
"The reduction in the developable land creates a situation where the project becomes unviable for the RJ Cooper Group."
If developed, the 17.4 acres of additional land would be worth $6.9 million to $8.7 million, Cooper wrote. The RJ Cooper Group is the third developer which has seriously looked at buying the golf course since 2007.
However, city council showed no interest in reopening the neighbourhood plan on Monday night.
"The city has spent a fair bit of time and resources to develop this plan," Mayor Dan Rogers said. "What we have developed is what is the most appropriate land use. What transpires now is beyond council."
The most recent version of the neighbourhood plan took two years and a cost the city $200,000, city manager Derek Bates said. Revisiting the plan would require another round of public consultations.
"It's unfortunate the golf course lands have not been able to sell," Coun. Debora Munoz said. "[But] I personally don't think it would be wise to go back to square one."
The golf course is owned by the Prince George Golf and Curling Club, which is a nonprofit corporation.
Coun. Cameron Stolz said the owner can bring rezoning applications forward to rezone parcels of the site, which council will individually consider.
On Tuesday Cooper said he doesn't know what the future holds for the golf course site.
Prince George Golf and Curling Club president Kevin Bowman said he couldn't comment until the RJ Cooper Group makes its decision.
"It's all in the Cooper Group's hands," Bowman said. "It certainly impacts us down the road, depending on what they decide."
Selling the current golf course site is essential for the development of the proposed new
golf course on Foothills Boulevard. The golf course has been trying to sell its current site and relocate since 2007, after the mountain pine beetle infestation forced the club to remove many of the trees on the course.
