Not Lost Cause...Lost Course

Not Lost Cause…Lost Course

In 2002, Grammy winning recording artist, Beck, recorded the song, Lost Cause.

Lost Cause

Your sorry eyes; they cut through bone
They make it hard to leave you alone
Leave you here wearing your wounds
Waving your guns at somebody new

Baby you're lost
Baby you're lost
Baby you're a lost cause

There's too many people you used to know
They see you coming they see you go
They know your secrets and you know theirs
This town is crazy; nobody cares

Baby you're lost
Baby you're lost
Baby you're a lost cause

I'm tired of fighting
I'm tired of fighting
Fighting for a lost cause

There's a place where you are going
You ain't never been before
No one left to watch your back now
No one standing at your door
That's what you thought love was for

Baby you're lost
Baby you're lost
Baby you're a lost cause

I'm tired of fighting
I'm tired of fighting
Fighting for a lost cause

On Friday June 25, The Roanoke Times editorial board proclaimed that Countryside is a lost cause. Writing about the recent news that the bid for the Market building renovation came in well under budget, the RT said, “There is no bad news -- unless those hankering for the city to reopen Countryside Golf Course attempt to convince Roanoke City Council to divert the savings to that lost cause.”

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Three years ago when I began this blog, the battle of Countryside was already in full swing. Roanoke City had already bought the golf course with the idea of callously developing the property as some kind of office, residential, green space model. When the actual residents dared stand up to question why their input was NEVER solicited, the city backtracked and tossed a nine-hole executive golf course into the plan. Presumably by throwing them a little bone, the residents would just shut up. However, with battle lines drawn, the residents fought hard to keep the golf course open.

Toal Brothers, the nationally known contracting group, decided against getting involved in the project, and the city’s plans began to unravel. Yet, though it all, the city remained blind to two inescapable realities: Real vocal city citizens lived in the Countryside footprint, and the golf course was very popular and profitable.

Finally, after many twists and turns; highs and lows, the city finally came onboard with the idea of owning and operating a municipal golf course. All that was needed was a finalized lease agreement with Meadowbrook. After riding high in November, the residents were slapped by the cold, hard reality that the city would not finalize the lease, and Meadowbrook was forced to walk away in February.

The carnage of the city’s callous decision goes much deeper than the overgrown vegetative scar that lies along the gateway to The Magic City. Residents, long held in limbo, are now held in a permanent purgatory; trapped by decreasing land values, they can’t sell their homes. Who would want to buy a beautiful home adjacent to a boarded up, untamed golf course? The residents aren’t beyond shaking their heads in fury or tearful sadness. Little victories still buoy them-Ken Saunders maintaining his own one-hole par 3 championship golf course or Linwood Caldwell mowing the twelfth fairway. But these victories, ultimately, are shallow and temporary bandages on a gaping wound.

With the Market Building slated to come in way under budget, one could argue that there is now capital improvement project money available. Residents had been lead to believe that the closure of the golf course is a done deal. In fact, they’ve been told that the course simply could not be reclaimed, even if they wanted to. But that’s simply not true. I’ve pointedly asked a friend of mine, who holds a degree in landscape design from Virginia Tech and currently works the golf course business, to give me his informal assessment of the course. Specifically, I asked if him if it was too late to reclaim the course. He replied (June 17),

“I definitely think Countryside is salvageable. With the greens only being an inch high you could probably have them reconditioned by the end of the fall. The fairways will probably take a big longer. The rule of thumb as I have come to understand it is that when cutting to a groomed level you don't want to cut it back more than a third of its height, as you begin to condition it back into shape. I would probably cut the greens at the same level for about 4-6 days, then spray a broad leaf herbicide over them. Doing this would help from over stressing the turf at once... which is your biggest concern. A similar approach to the tee boxes and fairways would need to be taken. In all it is going to take a little bit of time and money to recondition the course. Everything is probably going to have to be hit hard with pre-emergent herbicides next year, because I am sure they are over run by annual grasses right now that will have lots of overwintering seeds.

I feel with the kind of money that could be available, there is way more than enough to get the job done. If work was started in the next month or so there shouldn't be any problem getting it ready.”

But who would run it? How about Meadowbrook? They walked away, but it’s come to my attention that they must not consider the course a lost cause. Scott Beasley, Meadowbrook Vice President, recently shared with Countryside Neighborhood Alliance president, Valerie Garner, that

“We had an internal discussion today (Monday June 21) and if the funds were made available, we would be willing to get back involved under the original terms. They might need to be modified slightly but the majority are still good.” (used with permission from V.Garner)

Three years ago I wrote a series of pieces for this blog sharing a vision for the Countryside property. That vision hasn’t changed, despite the proactive county developing a multigenerational center nearby. I will say again what I said then, “In my opinion, the city has a gold mine. It doesn't need some monster retail/housing development. It needs a recreation facility, and the blueprints for it are already there. They need to open their ears to the community and their eyes to the possibilities.”

That vision encompasses a fully developed Countryside golf and recreational center. Imagine the possibilities. People flying into or driving into our valley would see this gem glistening on the hill with views of the entire area. The golf course, restored to its original Ellis Maples’ designed championship quality, would anchor a recreational complex that would be unrivaled in Southwest Virginia. In addition to the course, a community recreation center with meeting rooms, basketball courts and exercise rooms coupled with an indoor/outdoor swimming complex across the street from the flagship William Fleming High School could be developed. Such a facility would serve Roanoke City citizens from all across the valley in addition to drawing business from travelers and residents of surrounding localities. These visitors would pay real dollars to use the services. Local high schools, including William Fleming, would have access to the pool. The schools outside the city would pay for access. With such a facility, lucrative basketball and volleyball tournaments as well as local and regional swimming meets could be courted. Walking trails and bike paths could be added. The tennis facility could be renovated and restored to a prominent place. Without a doubt such a recreation and community center would serve as an anchor for an area of the city that has been long neglected, from its first days after annexation in the late 1970’s when promised curbs, gutters, and sidewalks were forgotten and passed by.

I have every confidence that a revitalized Countryside Golf and Recreation Center would be a star financial draw in The Star City. Four years ago, when the city was bandying about strip mall development schemes, Roanoke County took a leap and developed Green Ridge Recreation Center in a gutsy public/private partnership. I’ll never forget sitting in on the early development meetings in the county; they had such a positive vision. Now, their vision has paid dividends. People are flocking to this place, and it has far exceeded all revenue projections. Despite the risk, they went for it. My hope, along with one of my COuntryside friends, is that the city council gives Countryside “…a chance ... have vision ... don't be such weenies - take a chance like BOS did on Green Ridge Rec center.”

In this new age of financial stress and economic downturn, why on Earth would the city want to develop a recreation center? Schools are hurting; closing. Teachers are being laid-off. Employment and wages are stagnant. Taxes are high. People are angry. Why build a recreation center now? Face it; it’s a lost cause.

The Roanoke Times suggests that

“If a surplus does remain when this project [Market Building] is complete, it should be used to counter the need for future borrowing, not for projects council has already decided are not priorities.”

I beg to differ with these sentiments. On the contrary, not going forward with a revitalized Countryside Recreation Center vision is myopic. It’s the kind of thinking that will doom Roanoke to be another lost, aimless middle-sized city. With the new council ready to take charge, the time is now to revitalize Countryside and restore it for the benefit of the entire city and community.

The incoming council members seem to understand the dark, deep history of the Countryside battle between previous councils and the neighborhood alliance.

Bestpitch said he's learned from the Victory Stadium debate, which contributed to his failed re-election campaign in 2004. If he did it over again, he said, he'd push for more public involvement and transparency.

As a once-again incoming council member, Bestpitch said he wants to apply that lesson when Countryside Golf Course comes up again.

"I don't think that's a decision that should be made until we have lots of citizen input and feedback on that," Bestpitch said.

Ferris -- who approaches his first term on the council with no prior experience in elected office but with a long legal, business and personal history in Roanoke -- expressed a similar opinion.

"I think we need to have some public hearings," Ferris said. "And I don't mean a public hearing before an ordinance is enacted. We really need to put our ear to the ground, talk about options and what citizens want those options to be."

When it does come to a decision on Countryside and other issues, Ferris said, "I don't think we'll always agree on everything, but I can promise we'll all do our best to make it collegial, to make it productive and constructive, to not let the discussion disintegrate into some of the problems we've seen with councils of years past. I think the council the last two years has been on the right path. Roanoke Times June 27

Councilman Trinkle understood the frustrations of the residents and the need for resolution way back in 2008,

"The bad in my mind is that this discussion has been going on far too long and has impacted those who live in the area and have lived with uncertainty for many years. One worry, historically based, is that with long discussions and debates the bold option gets whittled to a mediocre option not at all in keeping with original intent and thus doomed for failure." [http://www.davetrinkle.com/2008/07/countryside-a-great-city-purchase-or-not/ July 8, 2008]

It seems, the city is staring down the throat of Trinkle’s apocalyptic forecast.

Countryside is NOT a lost cause. It’s just the sort of the bold option for which Councilman Trinkle wrote back in 2008. But if the council doesn’t act in favor of restoration, Countryside will simply be a lost course with the cursed property doomed to breed discontent.