Contributor Opinion by Anne Goodman and Jim Farrelly: Redgate Golf Course Should Remain A Golf Course
Sep 8, 2010 9:10 - 5 Comments
Posted by: Cindy Cotte Griffiths
Department: Contributor Opinion,Opinion
Tags: by Anne Goodman, by Jim Farrelly, environment, Opinion, redgate
Department: Contributor Opinion,Opinion
Tags: by Anne Goodman, by Jim Farrelly, environment, Opinion, redgate
Photo from Goodman and Farrelly of wildlife habitat which would be lost
This Contributor Opinion is by Anne Goodman and Jim Farrelly
Several proposals are on the table for future development RedGate golf course. Among them is one to build a 10,000 seat arena hosting 160 events a year. That is approximately one event every other day. Another is to build a low density housing development. A third is to let the property go back to nature. In my opinion, none of these proposals is acceptable.
Both an arena and low density housing would have adverse effects on one of the last areas in Rockville containing green space. RedGate houses kingfishers, several species of woodpeckers, blue herons, snowy egrets, and the Baltimore oriole, to name a few. Bald eagles have been sighted there. There are several wooded areas where other wildlife resides. There are plants that support insect life necessary for human life. Development would eliminate habitat for both plants and animals. As habitat is decreased, species are lost. The loss of wildlife habitat and its effects on our environment are presented forcefully in the book, “Bringing Nature Home” by Douglas W. Tallamy, 2009, Timber Press, Portland, OR, a book which we highly recommend.
Development would also adversely impact our local watersheds and, ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay. RedGate’s current impacts are significantly less than those of most golf clubs. We are informed that RedGate has adopted sound environmental practices, including the use of organic fertilizers and the collection and recycling of the City’s stormwater run-off. Not only does RedGate re-use the City’s stormwater runoff, it has in place processes to neutralize the effects of the contaminants contained in the runoff. The 140 acres of green space that RedGate occupies acts as a natural buffer between the City and Rock Creek Park. With the added imperviousness associated with development (construction of parking lots and sidewalks, reduction of many trees and understory plants), the run-off would enter surface waters more rapidly and contain more pollutants flowing into Rock Creek Park, the Potomac River, and, ultimately the Chesapeake.
While any development would impact habitat and water runoff, the arena would be a particular burden to the community. Just a few of the impacts would be increased traffic in an area already congested, noise, pollution, light, costs and extended responsibility for police and rescue, crime, and impervious surfaces that would increase stormwater runoff. Quality of life for residents near and far from the area would be reduced.
While the proposal to let RedGate “go back to nature” may sound good on the surface, it has its practical problems. Without some degree of maintenance, the course might be taken over by non-native invasive plants. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Bradford pears move in and take over.
In addition, although it has been argued that RedGate operates at a loss, it currently provides income for the City. A “back to nature” option would eliminate that revenue source, and the property would likely be sold for development, anyway.
In our view, the best option is to maintain the golf course and investigate ways by which income to the City can be increased.
The RedGate Advisory Commission is making a presentation to the Mayor and Council on Monday, Sept. 13. Please come and provide input to our City Council by participating in Citizens Forum. City Council will hold a work session on Sept. 20. It is possible that decisions will be made at that meeting.
The following are pictures of the golf course.
Site of the proposed arena. It is a wooded, hilly area that would have to be deforested and graded.
Photo from Goodman and Farrelly
Wildlife habitat. It would be lost.
Photo from Goodman and Farrelly
Anne Goodman and Jim Farrelly
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I appreciate that you took the time to present the proposals that the city has had so far. However, it is wildly speculative and frankly a bit of fear-mongering to show photos of what’s there now and they say “this will be gone.” I do not believe that the any of these have ever been given serious consideration.
So far this mayor and council has been absolutely committing to preserve green space in Rockville and to this golf course in particular. Even if the course area is changed, I am certain others would be preserved.
The golf course has been in a five-year financial improvement plan with no progress. I think it’s been made clear that the status quo, in this economic climate, simply cannot be maintained. So pushing for it to remain a golf course, just with a better business plan–well, we’ve “been there, done that.”
I could easily see RedGate as a beautiful, natural park. Of course, parks aren’t fee. But I’ll bet that the cost of a park would be a lot less than the cost of a golf course, once it transitions. Contrary to the article, RedGate golf course does not bring in net revenue. Costs are expected to exceed revenue by over $800,000 this year, growing to over 900,000 in five years. That has to be built into the budget if RedGate continues as a golf course.
Where will the money come from? Unless taxes are raised, I think the answer is from the Parks and Recreation budget because that is the most discretionary area of the budget. Surely we aren’t going to cut the budget for police, pedestrian safety, senior services, snow removal, or other essential services.
My question for Anne and Jim is this. Are we willing to short change other parks and recreation services to subsidize golf? What will be the condition of other City parks if funds are taken from them to pay for golf?
Rockville supports its seniors, swimmers, skaters, tennis players, people who exercise, neighborhood facilities, fine art enthusiasts, and many other groups of which we (Anne and Jim) may not be aware. We would like to see hard data showing how maintaining RedGate would impact the other facilities in a significant way.
In fact, we have seen arguments that the RedGate losses quoted by many may be overstated. We have examined financial data posted on the City’s web site, and we think the arguments should be considered seriously when making financial statements and projections.
With regard to generating revenue, we would like to see the City investigate new ways to do so. From where we sit, a good start would be to promote the course in this and neighboring communities. In addition, the facility could sponsor non-golf events that are compatible with its structure. We are sure that there are many good ideas about this that are worthy of consideration.
Given the fact that Rockville has a working golf course, and the golf course contains some of the last wildlife habitat areas left in the City, we feel that RedGate golf course should be supported.
For the record, the article did not refer to “net revenue.”
I’m adamantly opposed to developing Redgate, either with housing or with a larger facility like an arena. The traffic in the area of Norbeck and Gude is already ridiculously congested in the mornings and afternoons and adding more housing would be an additional burden on the roads, schools, and infrasctructure. The site isn’t close enough to Metro or to I-270 to warrant building an “attraction” like the proposed Science Center or an arena; for those options to work, an influx of additional traffic and a lot of paving would be required.
I could see many uses that would keep the open space option; some discussed here have included orchard, farm park (why not a working farm park?), and community gardens, and the space might be large enough to accommodate many uses while still preserving much of the wild green space. How about a fitness course through and around the space, which is convenient to the Millennium Trail?
It would be interesting to see how much more golf business could be brought to Redgate with some judicious promoting before writing it off entirely, but how long is a realistic timetable for an endeavor like that?
Random thoughts this morning….
I strongly support the option that would make Redgate into a park that could serve all of Rockville’s citizens. This valuable piece of open space can support wildlife and filter stormwater without having to operate as a golf course. I don’t believe the golf course can raise user fees enough to reduce the subsidy it requires from Rockville’s taxpayers. Turning Redgate into a park would lower operating costs and make the space available for all our citizens to enjoy.