Clarksburg Golf Course Work in Danger of Shutdown
 Todd Driscoll, right, shows the Selectmen plans for alterations being made at the former North Adams Country Club. |
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Work on the former North Adams Country Club could be shut down for the season because of incomplete permitting.
Todd Driscoll, partner with golf course owner James Basiliere, met with the Board of Selectmen on Monday afternoon to show them charts of the current alterations to the course.
However, because of incomplete permitting and infractions of the town's bylaws, Planning Board Chairman David Sherman said he thinks the renovations should stop.
"I would recommend stopping right now, and I hate to say it but I think we have gone far enough," Sherman said. "I just can't look at one plan and look at another one that doesn't reflect what the first one had with no reasoning."
The board and Sherman, charged with overseeing compliance with the removal of gravel, had expressed concern in July over incomplete design work.
Sherman said the plans have entered Phase 2 without the proper site work or permitting, and Basiliere has failed to meet the requirements of the town since the project started. He said aspects of Phase 1 are incomplete, and the present map has no indication of parking, bathroom facilities, and other aspects of Phase 2.
Sherman said there was also unpermitted work done near wetlands.
Driscoll said if the work is shut down the golf course will not be open this coming summer.
"We are kind of on a pretty limited time; we either get those holes bulldozed out and seeded or we are going to lose next season," Driscoll said. "It is coming down to that, but if you guys say we have to close next season then we lose next season."
Driscoll said he only came on board eight months ago and was told that everything was squared with the town and they were ready to move to Phase 2.
He said the project is becoming more and more expensive and is losing momentum.
"I am at the point where I don't really care because we are so far deep into it, and we got nothing back so new we are looking for more creative ideas to save this and finish this," he said. "We either get seed down in the next three weeks or this golf course doesn't get built this year, and we either find a better alternative for it or it doesn't get built at all."
Driscoll said the only way to make money from the course now is to find supplementary income. Originally, they thought the gravel and top soil on the course could help pay for the work, but they found this to be false.
"There is no gravel and the top soil we can't sell because no one will truck it," Driscoll said. "We are zero for $300,000."
Driscoll suggested putting house lots on the land, installing a solar array, and changing the course to an event course to help supplement the work because just a golf course is no longer financially sustainable.
"We could have little event tournaments up there that wouldn't be your typical six-hour tournament," he said. "The kids all go swimming and have a dinner in the clubhouse. We could make it a real true events course. The housing complex and a solar outfit can support it; without it we don't have a chance.
"We aren't just going to keep throwing money at this if we can't do some little things to help make the money," he said. "This property is so beautiful why would we not want it to be a nice little golf course?"
Basiliere told the board in July that he had abandoned plans for an 18-hole course in favor of a Par 3 and revamp of the original nine hole course.
Selectmen Chairman Jeffrey Levanos said shutting down the work could be more detrimental to the town.
"They are so far into this it seems wrong, and ... it feels like we are shooting ourselves in the foot by putting a cease-work," Levanos said. "I think I am just so desperate to see this open and the revenue to start to come in, and I'm worried that if they don't open by July the whole thing will collapse."
Driscoll said if he could finish some of the seeding within three weeks then part of the course could be open by the summer. He said he could then use the winter to get the permitting in order.
In order, to continue work at all, Conservation Commission Chairman Clebe Scott said Driscoll must have the wetlands delineated by a wetlands biologist so he can recommend the project to the Planning Board.
The Selectman advocated for selective work as a long as the wetlands are properly marked.
Driscoll said he would attempt to contact a biologist and have the information before the Planning Board meeting Wednesday night.
The Selectmen decided to send the plans back to the Planning Board to see if something could be worked out with the seeding if the wetlands are properly defined.
Selectman William Schrade Jr. said the renovations must be approved by the Planning Board and maybe something could be worked out with the five planners on Wednesday night.
"I have great faith that the Planning Board is willing to work with the people who are doing jobs and if there is something that can be done you can move forward, but there are a lot unanswered questions," he said. "I don't think it's fair. Work needs to be done and that is why we have Planning Board to look at these issues."
Tags: conservation commission, golf course, Planning Board, wetlands,
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