Golf Club Plan Outlined

Friday, June 01, 2007 03:59 AM

Map shows existing "informal Bike Trails" on the property that will be developed for the new Prince George Golf and Curling Club. Heavy red dash-dot line is boundary of Golf Course, fine red lines are existing "informal bike trails"

About 80 people turned out to the open house at the Prince George Civic Centre Last night to look at the preliminary plans for the Prince George Golf and Curling Club.

( at left, some attendees talk with L&M Engineering staff about different aspects of the plan)

The design calls for an 18 hole, par three course on property west of Foothills Boulevard, and north of North Nechako Road.

While many associated with the Golf Club think its a great plan, those who use the many kilometers of informal bike tails on the property are not so happy.

The golf course site is smack dab in the middle of some favourite biking trails. As the map above shows, every one of the fine red lines is an existing "informal trail". L & M Engineering’s Heather Oland says those atttending the session last night offered mixed feelings about the loss of bike trails. "Certainly there are concerns about the loss of informal bike trails, however, there have also been people say they are happy to see those trails go because some of the trails cross over onto private property and this development will encourage an end to that trespassing."

The access to the new Golf Course will be off Foothills Boulevard. Currently that access is marked by a yellow metal gate which leads to a flat open piece of ground. The Golf Course has purchased enough property to have access from that City right of way to the golf course. Oland says there had been some concerns about the access to the site "Some residents were concerned about the access cutting through their neighbourhood off North Nechako Road. This access off Foothills will ensure there is no increased traffic along North Nechako Road west of Foothills."

It is expected the plan will be presented to Prince George City Council in July or early August, and if approved, some land clearing could start before the snow flies. The PGGCC hopes to have the new course operational for tee off in 2010.

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Posted on Friday, June 01, 2007 03:59 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Free Enterprise on June 1 2007 7:58 AM

Great work. It will be a fantastic course and a good development for the North side of the city.

Posted by: tiemens1 on June 1 2007 10:08 AM

I wonder if the dirt bikers so prevalent in that area will cause as much trouble for the golf course as they do for the people living in this area?

Posted by: Chadermando on June 1 2007 1:32 PM

The best trails in the city are located on the Northwest part of the proposed development. Locally they are called the fire escape trails that lead down from the garbage dump toward Pidherny Trail.

Losing these trails will be a tragedy for the Prince George biking community. The equivalent of Vancouver losing Stanley Park, or Kamloops losing Bachelor Heights.

Not one of these trails was built on private property, as all this was crown land prior to the golf course proposal. The only property owner I can think of that would make a complaint would be the guy that lives on the end of Christina Place off of Chief Lake Road who every summer spends his days booby trapping the trail system to injure riders in the area. That guy should be thrown in jail IMO for attempted murder as non of the trails actually cross his property he just assumes he has a right to be a controller of all crown lands within a mile of his home.

Facts are that not one of the Pidherny trails is on private land, other than the land sold for the golf club by the government.

Another point of interest is that they wish to make the entrance to this proposed golf course at the apex of one of PG's highest accident corners on Foothills blvd. An area already prone to accidents do the progressively sharp corner that has seen over the years a number of vehicles lose control and end up in the ditch only meters from their proposed entrance way. Foothills will need extensive work to accommodate this proposal.

I truly hope the city will not be expected to cover any of the costs for this private enterprise that will rob the city of one of its primary recreation attractions. This includes the road work needed to make the access point viable (millions of dollars), as well as bringing in city services (half million dollars) and eventual servicing of the road from Foothills to Pidherny. My tax dollars should not pay for any of it. IMO the golf course should be like their private sector competitors and any other developer in this town and pay the full cost of their development plans

No tax dollars must be a fact of this project. Otherwise it is an exercise in special interest welfare for the elite at the expense of a prized community recreation site, and the developers in this community that made their own golf courses without tax dollars.

Posted by: Chadermando on June 1 2007 1:34 PM

Tiemens, the golf course will have no peace or respect from the dirt bikers. The golf course will be deliberately harrased if they rob the bikers of their trails. I can assure you of that.

Posted by: trollunderthebridge on June 1 2007 8:35 PM

Given the mentality of some of the dirt bikers it would come as no surprise if they damaged the course.The development of a new golf course is much more beneficial to the city than catering to the small percentage of dirt bikers in the area. Go take their noisy machines out of the city limits. Good riddance.

Posted by: lmorg on June 1 2007 10:24 PM

a golf course there would be a nice addition to the landscape. I'm sure there's enough space behind the north scales for everyone.

Posted by: Bert on June 2 2007 12:03 AM

The land behind the north scales is a hidden treasure. Most of that land is owned by people who pay taxes on their land. Take a look into the city's plans for Harper Valley. I wonder if the dirt bikers and everyone would like to help people pay their taxes for the use of that land ????

Posted by: Palopu on June 3 2007 4:26 PM

300 Acres of Private Land behind the North Scales were sold to Dubia interests last year.

The present location of the Prince George Golf and Curling Club could have been re-habilitated for $3.5 Million dollars. Once an offer of $15 Million was made for the course any thought of rehabbing it went out the window.

This whole project has nothing to do with Golfing and plenty to do with Real Estate sales, and Devlopers.

The whole area of the present Golf Course will be developed for residential commercial, and guess what. The property North and South of the access road into the New Golf Course from foothills will be developed for housing. My understanding is that the developers will pay for the road into the Golf Course, however I dont know who will pay for the water and sewer.

So is it about Golf, or is it about development and real estate???? To give up a jewel of a Golf Course in downtown Prince George for a measly 15 Million and relocate to North Nechako in the snow belt is not a wise move. Add to the mix the declining enrollment of PGGCC Members and the decline in golfers in general and we can assume that in no time flat the New Golf Course will be broke, unless it also has land to develop.