Weeks after owners of the Deer Creek Golf Club closed the course with little indication as to what could follow it, neighboring residents are airing their thoughts about what should happen to the vast property near 133rd and Metcalf.
At a community meeting at the former golf course’s clubhouse Wednesday night, a group of residents who live near or visit the Deer Creek property discussed ways the property could potentially be saved.
The background: Deer Creek owner GreatLIFE KC had proposed a plan for a $65 million multi-building apartment complex to be built nearby as a way to update the aging facility.
Developers included maintenance updates and erosion fixes to the course itself, but the plan ultimately failed to get approval from the Overland Park City Council.
Soon after the councils’ vote, GreatLIFE announced Deer Creek’s closure, which became official April 1.
Residents’ feelings about the apartment project were mixed, with some in vehement opposition and others expressing support for the proposal.
At this week’s Overland Park City Council meeting, resident Terry Carr told the council some Deer Creek residents favored the plan and were surprised by the council’s decision to reject it after the Planning Commission approved it.
He urged the council to consider the golf course closure’s impact on the surrounding community, as well as the flooding and erosion issues there that still need to be fixed.
“Since we (the city) have direct role in creating the flooding problem, I think it’s only fair that we play a role in not only fixing the problem, but also taking the necessary action upstream to ensure the problem doesn’t get worse,” Carr said. “The close of the Deer Creek Golf Course has also created problems for local high school teams. Several Blue Valley teams practice in Deer Creek and even hosted tournaments.”
What residents want: Residents who spoke up at Wednesday’s meeting largely wanted to find a way to ensure the golf course could remain a golf course.
The suggested possibly encouraging the city council to consider GreatLIFE’s original proposal and vote again on the matter.
Another suggestion brought up Wednesday was to encourage the owners to sell it to someone who would maintain it as a golf course — or at least as green space.
Residents also considered the possibility of forming a buyer’s group among neighbors and acquiring the golf course themselves.
“I think we should consider buying it as a group,” said resident Jeff Glad. “People in our group could pay a membership fee or a yearly fee on the golf course.”
Regardless of golf course ownership, residents agreed on the importance of carrying out the flooding and erosion fixes that had been part of GreatLIFE’s earlier proposal.
“Surely the city could find a way to help support that or fund some of it,” said resident Jim Patton. “It could be a tax. It could be a donation. It could be any number of things, but we need to take care of it. We need to keep the golf course in place.”
City weighs in: City councilmembers Faris Farassati and Scott Mosher also attended Wednesday’s meeting. Both voted to reject the apartment project at Deer Creek when it came before the council in February.
Farassati told residents Wednesday that as someone who has his own memories of family events at Deer Creek, he understands what the golf course means to residents.
But the city ultimately has a duty to balance the rights of property owners and of neighbors, he said, in considering any future proposals for the property.
“There is an untold contract between you and your city, your elected officials, about preserving your quality of life, preserving what you were promised, preserving why you bought your house in certain areas,” he said.
Mosher said the golf course being private property limits the city’s involvement with it, but it’s important to him that the city follow through with its commitments to developers.
“I’m here to tell you the city’s word should mean something,” he said. “And however you move here and move ahead, I will tell you that I want the golf course to be saved too just like Faris and just like every councilmember.”
