Lester Park Golf Course's fate takes first step

All offers are on the table for Lester Park Golf Course. Now, officials must decide in what direction to take one of the city’s two public courses.
“There are a couple that incorporate the golf and development,” Daniel Fanning, the city’s communications and policy director, said of the proposals. “Some would just leave golf as it is, but (also) have ideas to bring in more revenue.”
Fanning said at least one proposal would do away with golf in favor of alternative development. All told, seven proposals have been submitted - three offering some form of development and four that offer possibilities for the management of the course.
Lester Park Golf Course has been losing $243,000 annually, Fanning said, and the figure is growing. Fanning referred to it as “hemorrhaging in the numbers,” and said the city owes it to residents to make the site viable.
“We want to be good stewards of taxpayers’ dollars,” he said.
The city sent out a request for proposals with the intent to sell all or part of the course in favor of developing new, market-rate workforce housing. Proposals were due Sept. 9.
“We’re going to be strategic about this,” Fanning said. “This is just the very initial part of the process. We’re gathering information and thinking it through. We’re confident we can do that.”
The next step will be to interview the respondents before providing updated options at community meetings. Ultimately, a proposal will be put before the City Council.
“We recognize the city has two beautiful public courses, and we remain committed to maintaining public, affordable golf,” Fanning said. “We also recognize that the status quo isn’t acceptable. Something has to change - we can’t afford to lose nearly a quarter million dollars a year at Lester Park Golf Course.”
Enger Park Golf Course has fared better than Lester Park, as it makes modest profits or breaks even most years.