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Is Lanier Golf Course Greenspace?
Originally Published Feb 1, 2008, 10:08am
(Updated Feb 1, 2008, 10:08am)
Gerry Sullivan and Jim Quinn, members of the Save Lanier Lifestyle Committee, recently commented on the 100,000,000 Park and Recreation Bond that will be on the ballot on Super Tuesday, February 5th. Their comments brought to light several concerns, a conflict of interest, and the question of why Forsyth County would overlook the greenspace that already exists at the Lanier Golf Club, a public golf course.
While sitting on the deck overlooking the fourth hole and taking in the panoramic view of this serene golf course with the blue heron flying above me, I felt a sense of how lucky we are to have such a place of beauty in Forsyth. I shuddered to think that its future lies in the hands of the judicial system. With the fate of this beautiful golf course becoming an overdeveloped 700 home eye-sore.
I met with Sullivan and Quinn members of the Save Lanier Lifestyle Committee who recently responded to the Envision Green Forsyth e-mail sent out by Mary Helen McGruder, the Planning Commissioner for District 5. McGruder was asking for support as a private citizen on the Park and Recreation Bond by explaining that the passing of this bond would provide funds to purchase land for greenspace, building new parks, and completing some of our county parks. "This would be a wonderful opportunity for each of us to do what we all say we want to do - leave our county a better place than we found it and to protect our environment while building blueways on the Etowah River, playgrounds at our parks and an aquatic center for young and old alike."
While all of this is well and good, it brings nothing into District 5 and besides that, it was McGruder who cast a "yes" vote fore the rezoning to build the 700 residential development on the current land that is home to the Lanier Golf Club. "This is a contradiction to ask for support of greenspace as well as the vote to destroy current greenspace," commented Sullivan and Quinn.
"I do not consider privately owned property as green space" McGruder responds. "It may be land that is currently undeveloped, but in the sense that green space belongs to a specific community group such as a government or conservancy for the common good, then property owned privately is not held for the benefit of the public. That is why we as a county should vote to purchase land for green space and not expect private land owners to provide it for us."
McGruder voted to "uphold the private property rights" of an individual in a rezoning request that is currently in litigation and is now supporting the obligation of our county to purchase land we wish to preserve as green space and not to rely on owners of a private business to furnish it for us at their own expense.
"I don't see that as a contradiction, but as another reason to support the bond" McGruder stated "If we as a county aren't willing to purchase land, then the landowner in a capitalist society has every right to use their property as they choose as long as that use complies with current zoning ordinances. We should either be willing to pay for green space or to suffer the consequences when land is sold and developed."
Greenspaces play a key role in supporting safe, healthy, happy and lively communities. They are about people, communities and quality of life. Therefore, the interpretation of the word greenspace could have a different meaning in the context that it is being used. For example, McGruder views the rezoning of the Lanier Golf Club as a privately owned property, where as the owners could request it to be rezoned, sold, and developed. Then again, Save Lanier Lifestyle Committee views it as greenspace. Greenspace they enjoy, and don’t wish for the owner to sell. Each has a point, but ultimately the option should be the private land owners…sale and develop or keep the land as a greenspace.
Gerry Sullivan, responded to McGruder's e-mail. He stated our committee, Save Lanier Lifestyle, is puzzled that she would be sending out a request to support the Park and Rec. Bond for Greenspace, especially after her attempt to eliminate one of the finest green spaces in Forsyth County, Lanier Golf Club. McGruder has been quoted to have said, "You can't have a vote of denial based on the emotions of the residents." Then again, McGruder e-mail is an emotional plea for support by asking the residents who live in District 5 to support the Greenspace and Park Bond. Quinn said, “I might add that my position is that most, including myself, recognize the importance of preserving greenspace. It is essential for our quality of life and that of future generations. My question is how can a planning commissioner recommend replacing one of the most significant parcels of recreational greenspace in this area with an inappropriate, massive development and shortly thereafter recommend that the taxpayers spend $100,000,000 to purchase new more costly and less beneficial lands.” " I regret that Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Quinn have taken this opportunity to bring up a previous zoning decision I made in my capacity as a member of the Planning Commission and interject that legal issue into what shoud be for the voters a decision about the futures of our parks, recreation opportunities and greenspace. I would hope that we cal all join together as voters and vote YES and use this as an issue on which we can agree," McGruder said.
What is so interesting about this issue is that no one knows exactly what land will be purchased. Lanier Golf Course has not been ruled in or out as a potential acquisition. Officials cannot comment on what land is being sought for purchase, because the value of the land (and the surrounding land) would be inflated as a result of this information. McGruder emphasized “ no determination has been made on the expenditure of the bond proceed - no one knows what land will or won’t be purchased and whether is will or won’t bring anything into District 5.” Jim Quinn quoted former President Ronald Regan by saying, " Trust but Verify." but in this case, trust is the only option.
Quinn was instrumental in bring about the "No" vote in order to stop the rezoning the Lanier Golf Club. His letter addressed to the Board of Commissioner casting a light on the Steinberg rules, which are Georgia Zoning Procedure Laws. Quinn outlined six laws that must be considered when zoning.
Lanier Golf Course is due to reopen again in April although its lifespan is still undetermined. One can be sure to find both Quinn and Sullivan out on the greens.
When thinking of greenspace in Forsyth County and leaving it a better place than we found it, why not preserve the beauty, the land, and refuge for wildlife. What a gift to leave behind for our children, grandchildren, and visitors to Forsyth County to enjoy.
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Comments
11 comment(s) on this page. Add your own comment below.
Well, this just confirms Wellstone's lawsuit. It states that Forsyth County is trying to under-handedly lower the price of their land to purchase it themselves.
VOTE NO TO BONDS.
700 new homes at the Lanier Golf Course site will cause traffic to increase exponentially. The county does not have the infrastructure in place to handle that many more cars in the area.
Forsyth County is growing too fast and developers couldn't care less about the increased traffic, pollution, and crime. We need to close off some areas to development before the beauty of our community will be destroyed forever.
Vote YES on Bonds.
Lynn, stop lying. Just because private citizens believe that buying the golf course would be a good idea, doesn't mean the county is considering that as a proposal.
Neither I nor Lanier Lifestyles have ever suggested that the owners of Lanier Golf Course do not have a right to sell their land nor have we stated that they don't have a right to appropriate zoning. However, the development that was proposed was totally and completely inappropriate. Our area is over 95% low density owner occupied residential. Wellstone's proposal was for extremely high density, a large portion of which was rental. That development would have been nonconforming to the comprehensive plan, caused a loss in value to surrounding properties, created gridlock on our roads and destroyed the enviornment. It begged for denial. The majority of the planning commission recommended denial and all five members of the Board of Commissioners voted for denial. The future of that land is in the hands of the owners. If they think it is in their best interest to operate the golf course, sell it or simply close it, they certainly have the right to do so. At the same time, the surrounding residents have the right to protect themselves from absurdly inappropriate and harmful development proposals and they intend to do so. Lynn's comment above suggests a county interest in the land while Dave Richard's suggests otherwise. Let's assume for the sake of discussion that there are no legal conflicts. Should the county have an interest in purchasing the golf course? Would it make sense for the county to buy 172 acres of absolutely beautiful recreational greenspace. Would it benefit the county to have a facility where boys and girls could learn the game of golf, where fathers and sons and mothers and daughters, husbands and wives could spend an afternoon together, where seniors could interact, where deer, fox, cranes and eagles could thrive. Should a facility that can provide those benefits to the public at no operating cost to the taxpayer be considered? Think about it.
McGruder's thought process is at best confusing. Here you have available green space yet she would prefer a high density development in its place while spending a portion of the millions of tax payer money unnecessarily. Her condescending spin on this nauseating. Beyond her bureaucratic nonsense, however, the original County Land Use Map was secretly alerted early on to facilitate the rezoning so the developers and current owners of the golf course could have their way with it. If McGurder and her cronies were at all credible they would tell all what took place with the Land Use map and how the golf course property was targeted and changed from agriculture to multi-use in the dark of night. Any rezoning efforts are bogus and reeks of local government / private owner / developer collusion. It is amazing that an elected official would participate in and support what would be a huge long term mistake in allowing the existing green space golf course be destroyed and replaced by a high density unnecessary land value depreciating folly. How did the Land Use map get revised Commish?
I'm appalled at the deceitful and dishonest means that Forsyth County has used to obtain this Golf Course.
Vote no to bonds
It’s news to me that Forsyth County still has green space. From what I recall the region merely consists of streets, buildings, houses, and maybe the occasional tree. Hopefully when I return to Forsyth County on my next vacation, Lanier Golf Course will still exist.
McGruder completely misses the point here and continues to use her soapbox to mix the issues, and present inaccurate statements. To say that "owners of a private business are being asked to furnish [greenspace lands] for us at their own expense" is ridiculous. And to support the rezoning of lands for development where clearly there is neither logic nor legal support for such a decision in the zoning process, is similarly absurd. It's time that McGruder and Livesay stepped down and stopped using their appointed position for their own agenda and that of their cronies or begin to become the spokespersons for the real communities and people they are supposed to represent. And begin to present themselve as such in the process they were appointed to manage. Regardless, their days are numbered, as are those of the landowners and developers who have invited thousands to this community and haven't yet realized that now is the time they had better start welcoming us with reasonable zoning, parks, community services and planning, and infrastructure to create a sensible lifestyle in this City and County environment.
Well Well Well...
Turns out that a Musician/Producer friend of mine lives there in that community of Lanier-Links, so I got a little putting in while visiting Friday nite (with the help of a cool looking "Strobe-lited" golfball)...and can you guess what he was talking about?
Can you guess what I revealed to him!
Part...if not ALL...of that area lies upon another one of Forsyth Counties nine "Aquifer Recharge Zone" (ARZ) groundwater recharge areas (GRA), and is therefore (IN MY HUMBLE OPINION) unsuitable for any such High-density "HDR" or "LCI" development for it's associative "High degree of Environmental Impact"...and should therefore remain exactly what it is as a Golf-Course/Community Recreation Facillity if not allowed to revert to it's "Natural State" otherwise in the interests of the protective-preservation of OUR (not The Army corps. of Engineeres) Water Resources.
The Board of Commissioners...though I don't know what if any extent its proxemity to this ARZ has been made before now to this case...have then IMHO acted very-well correctly.
If it hasn't been introduced as such prior, the argument should very well reflect these lands proxemity upon that ARZ from here-on out...and for those reasons above (put forth IMHO) no less!
As such...the "Buildability" of such "Environmentlally Sensitive" land becomes a "Degree of Difficulty" lending negatively to the extent of the lands "market-value"...
One can only blame "The Creator" for having construed the nature of our environment as such, and anyones "Loss" suffered for their "Speculative Investment" should find themselves...NOT "Government" as a "Take"...responsible paying for that speculation!
I think the County AND those land-owners of the Lanier-Links community should partner-up to buy-out the "Developers" and run the Golf-Course together...commensuratley sharing both expense and amenity. Those "Developers" of whom--having made such an imprudent "Speculation" that any such "Hi-Density" development was ever going to fly around there for whatever "Pull" they figured (or didn't) around it--then getting out of it equitably as such with either their skin intact, or smarter for the education.
Come on people, this is common sense. We have overcrowded roads already and Forsyth County has a major water problem! Adding 700+ homes in this area - or IMHO anywhere in the country right now - just does not make sense! This is not rocket science.
Last I heard...and all one need do is look around the county to confirm this...there stands more than 14,400 Six inch green sewer-pipes sticking' out of the red Georgia clay awaiting homes to be built aroung them...
The entierty of "The Piedmont Region" is apparently an "Open Aquifer", meaning that for the most part what "Recharges" into it "Drains" right back out of it...but there are specific areas of "Recharge", with those "Minor" ones being of less than 100 sq. miles and more significanlty "Environmentally Sensitive" just as smaller bodies of water are for their volume...so it's a good thing it does rain here as much as it does!
As long as we have rain the lake will fill, yes, but the Groundwater reserve is important as an emergency source to draw from when that fails as is the landscape of today...and just yesterday I read in the AJC that "Lake Lanier was never ment to be the water supply for Atlanta", according to Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), while we're now about to take water from the Tennessee River?
I believe that We've forsaken that by ignoring the importance of these "Aquifer Recharge Zones" ability to safely--and effectively--recharge these "Groundwater Recharge Areas"...and that is directly attributed to the level of Hi-impact "Impervious Surface" development upon them within these specific recharge zones...
The areas are depicted within the FCCP on at least three different maps, but are easily identified in the "Natural Resources" fig. 4.6 located on pg. 4-15 FCCP 2004-2025.
People of Forsyth County listen up...this is OUR water to protect and preserve...for OUR use without any regulation by ACE. The rain becomes "Waters of The United States" the moment it hits either Lake Lanier or becomes "Contaminated Impervious Surface Run-off" and gets pipe-diverted into the Chattahoochiee River...Its a much worse-waste for that AND appearingly not being considered when calculating "The Release" from Lake Lanier!
Look where we are today...with contamination of the public supply...where those in control of it operate without regard to our regions interest?
Why then wouldn't we want to avoid causing any impediment to the "Recharge" of OUR OWN Water Resources when the likes of ACE...two years in a row now "A Mistake"...literally pour it down their drain for the 'Interests" of others...whatever?
C'mon people...if it was "Air" we'd be choking...it's WATER, and we're only thirsty?
A building morotorium upon those Aquifer Recharge Zone (ARZ) or Groundwater Recharge Areas (GRA) is only prudent at this juncture.
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