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As readers will know, the council was due to consider Resolution 02-192 at its April 18th meeting. This resolution
co-sponsored by representatives Scott Shea and Marlin Gusman was intended to direct the City Planning Commission
to carry out an expedited review of the entire Golf Course renovation project, with particular reference to its
conformity with planning guidelines and the city Master Plan, and presumably to make recommendations to the
City Council.
Due to Mr Shea's unforeseen and unaccountable decision to remove his name from his own resolution, the resolution
was removed from the council agenda.
Although, with Mr Gusman's continued sponsorship, the Resolution may still be heard soon,
we are uncomfortable with the delay. We assume that any delay will allow ANI to argue next time around
that construction of the clubhouse is too far ahead to be delayed for inconvenient public consultations.
Even more so, we are puzzled by Mr Shea's decision to remove his name
from the resolution. Phone calls to his office only elicited the response that "many people think a restaurant
in Audubon Park is a good idea".
That may be so, who knows? - but it is not the point.
The point is that
current zoning forbids a restaurant in Audubon Park, for many good reasons. Though represented as a mere
clubhouse 'food service facility', Audubon's latest addition to the park is arguably no such thing.
We feel that such a controversial establishment should not be
countenanced without appropriate public hearings. That aside, the details of the clubhouse design have not
been publicly heard, and a City Planning Commission hearing into those details is clearly warranted - whatever
the result of those hearings might be.
In any event, we understand that the resolution will be heard perhaps as soon as May 2. We will keep you informed.
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