Today’s Guest View is from a long-time LOVE reader who went by the pseudonym “Nombe Watanabe” back in the days when our comments section was open for commenting. We always looked forward to his posts as they were not only factual, civil, and well-reasoned, but also contained shades of sarcasm and great wit.-----
The controversy over the Town’s purchase of the Conquistador Golf Course has raged on for far too long. Outrage on one side vs. sullen defense on the other side have been the order of the day. All this passion has not done one thing to change anyone’s mind. Oro Valley remains divided and we have not heard the voice of compromise and reason from town leadership.
The “Property Values” Argument
Although the game of golf appears to be in decline nationwide, the game itself is not the issue. The mayor and town council have a vested interest in preserving the property values (read “votes”) of the homes located near the Town-owned golf courses.
With the recent closure of the Vistoso Golf Course, our elected officials find themselves in a trap of their own making. How can they continue to cater to a minority of homeowners living along the Town-owned golf courses, when a second group of homeowners living along the Vistoso golf courses now face the same “property values” issue?
Any attempt to stop or even reduce the damage that our tax-supported Golf does to the Oro Valley budget runs into the fact that many of the solutions would create a serious loss of property values to the homes bordering the Town golf courses.
A Logical Solution
Returning the golf courses to desert wilderness may be attractive to some, given the over-development that has been foisted upon Oro Valley. However, the answer to our problem may lie in the transition from golf to a more inclusive, family friendly, recreational use for the golf course land.
A phased conversion to linear parks, trails, and playgrounds could be established on the existing course and even serve as a model for the now-closed Vistoso course. (Note: Playgrounds, paved walking paths, and natural surface trails were in the Top 10 list of amenities that Oro Valley residents requested in the 2014 Parks and Rec Survey).
This solution would accomplish the following:
• maintain property values
• expand recreational opportunities to all citizens rather than just the shrinking golf population
• cut budget losses by 20 to 50 percent (thereby reducing costs to the taxpayer)
