Editor’s note: the below is an opinion from Westporter and former and chair of the Board of Finance Brian Stern.
As the Longshore Golf Course is a treasured town asset, residents should rally behind efforts to maintain not only the grounds, but also the facilities that house the pro shop, the locker rooms, the driving range, the cart barn and cafe / bar that golfers use before and after their rounds.
Those familiar with the Longshore Golf Course understand how unacceptable the conditions are at these facilities:
- In fact, the pro shop is rather decrepit. There is no place for refreshments.
- Instead of a proper “driving” range, there is a practice area–but golfers can use only half of their clubs.
- The cart barn is too small to house the newly-leased carts.
- There are no locker rooms, there are two fetid rest rooms, one per sex.
There is a call to action here since these will cost upwards of $10M. The Town moves slowly and deliberately on funds prioritization and likely the golf course facilities are lower on the list than schools or public safety. In order to solve this problem, the Town needs a new approach to these investments, one that allows for imagination, innovative design and, most important, speed.
Opinion: My view is that the funding, planning and implementation plan must include a combination of private funding, private partnerships together with taxpayer resources. It would be very unlikely that the Town would fund this URGENT and large requirement on its own.
This dilemma can only be resolved by rethinking governance and control. This rethinking is not new to Westport. The recent examples of the Westport Library, Wakeman Town Farms, the Levitt Pavilion and the Inn at Longshore, illustrate how new thinking and partnerships can be extremely successful and timely in support of the “Westport Brand.”
The leadership inertia will only come from the customers, the administration and the governance committees focused on a clear achievable objective.
Please, will someone get engaged and show how this great Town can act with both speed and consensus?
Unlike the Cribari Bridge controversy, all the variables with respect to golf are local, in our control, and solvable.
Brian Stern
Westport
Forgive my ignorance, are you new to town? The golf community has been trying to do something like this for the 15 years I have lived here. And this conversation has been going on decades before my time. There is an account somewhere with several hundred thousands dollars (probably well over $500k) that golfers have raised themselves…..The Clubhouse Cup?
And let’s not forget to address the Golf Advisory Board. The inside scoop from a former BOF member is that the town officials needed a buffer to prevent the overwhelming direct communication and attendance at meetings from resident golfers. So, they created a completely ineffective board to address the situation. Will a historian please chime in and tell us what year that was?? Have you ever been to a meeting, complete snoozefest. Is there still even such a board?
I think this is a worthwhile concept. I have long advocated for more public/private partnerships for things like sports fields; Longshore would be another good opportunity.
But let’s start with re-establishing an effective and full Parks and Rec Commission and get new voices there. Currently there are two vacancies on the five-member commission. I would appoint more citizens NOW at this crucial time, and expand the commission to seven, with alternates. I have yet to see a call for interested citizens to fill vacancies on our appointed Boards and Commissions.
Parks and Rec in Westport is at an historic inflection point. We are developing and deliberating a Master Plan; conducting a much needed albeit costly study of our beaches, upgrading long neglected facilities, and under the gun to manage an overwhelming and outsized demand for sports field usage. Baron’s South is another untapped resource as a community outdoor space. P&R and its commission are also dragging their feet on opening a new community garden; it looks like we’ll lose yet another season of gardening.
Start by bolstering the Commission with fresh minds along with a special task force to put together supportive private interests .
I thought we were all supposed to support Kevin Christie in order to get a new Community Garden?
The foot dragging is from the FS. This is what the community gardeners get for lining up behind the people that screwed them. They sent a message of “screw us and we’ll still support you.” Why would anyone be surprised that nothing has happened?