Laserfiche WebLink
MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO PARK COMMISSION <br /> February 6, 2023 <br />6:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 7 of 14 <br /> <br />build out a kitchen area for rotisserie hot dogs and pizza slices -- basically gas station food? I don't <br />understand how that is beneficial or viable to anybody. From a parking standpoint, I've been there on <br />League night and even the lower a lot I've seen them park way more than 25 cars down there doubling <br />and tripling it up. From a financial standpoint, the gentleman from the league over there, I think he had <br />some good points on the maintenance of the golf course. And if we turn this golf course around where it's <br />almost impossible to park and the league people pull out, which I'm sure pay a lot of the revenue up there, <br />and we stop playing golf up there? What does that do for the financial viability of the course in the long <br />run? And then lastly, about the picnic shelter. We think it's a good idea. However, we kind of laughed <br />because most of us have hit golf balls up there before. It is in bounds, I believe, and the last thing we want <br />to do is hit some poor kid with a golf ball when they're having a picnic. <br /> <br />Roger Adams, 1130 Underhill Circle said the previous speaker just touched on the one thing that he <br />wanted to add to the equation, which is safety. We haven't heard a lot about safety. I play the course a lot. <br />I play with a lot of guys that slice and off the fourth tee, they're aiming at the parking lot. And sometimes <br />they hit it straight. And there would be golf balls coming off the first tee that'll go right where that court is <br />off the fourth tee. And people who overshoot the ninth green. I think that's a serious issue that you have to <br />consider in terms of placing a pickleball court right there. And as for parking in that lower lot, I don't <br />know anyone who parks down there unless they absolutely have to, because it's dangerous. <br /> <br />Kim Carswell, 261 Cygnet, said she thinks this is a major business decision. As you think about your <br />workshop, think about like financially, what's it going to cost to maintain it, to build it, to operate it and <br />then it's a good point about what will change with golf, safety, environmental concerns. And there's just a <br />lot high and low spots there. I think timing seems tight, so I'm really delighted that you're pausing a little <br />bit. And I would just love to hear how the workshop’s going to go so we can, as the public, be engaged <br />and make sure that you don't drag the decision out. Maybe take some other sites and as you go through <br />the buckets of financial, safety, environmental and timing, make sure that things are all at an equal. And I <br />would say that I received a lot more communication on the open houses than I think most of us received <br />back in November of 2021. I don't think that was well shared, so I think it was a surprise. We had so <br />many emails about open houses, and that doesn't come through the newsletter. So I think there's some <br />way if you slow this down and have that workshop, that would help maybe even the communication. <br /> <br />Scott Prock, 540 Old Crystal Bay Road. I'm a former employee at the clubhouse. I don't know where to <br />start. We need to concentrate on the basic maintenance of the golf course and focus on your core <br />business. To the best of my knowledge, people pay to play golf there. And there was a serious possibility <br />that one or two or three of the golf leagues were going to leave last year because of some changes that <br />were made. You've got to protect what you've got there, the income that you've got, or you're going to be <br />paying for a golf course that nobody plays on to support your pickleball courts. I was glad to hear from <br />Josh that they've got in the works the watering system maintenance. And I think Cameron mentioned that <br />there's a lot of things that you're going to do at the course. You should go out and sit on that deck on a hot <br />afternoon. You won't last long. It's a beautiful deck and it works out great in the evenings when the sun <br />goes down, but it's so hot out there. People don't spend a lot of time there after they play golf. And if