L.A. County report discusses potential for partially repurposing Alhambra Golf Course as a park

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Alhambra , CA United StatesThe city of Alhambra has responded to findings in a Los Angeles County report that discussed the potential for the municipal golf course to be repurposed into park space.
The Alhambra Municipal Golf Course has high potential for repurposing, given the decline in demand for golf and because it’s located in a park-poor area, according to the report, written by the Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury. The report found that rounds played declined 33 percent in the past decade, while revenue decreased 19 percent.
The golf course sits on 98 acres of green space, while the city itself as 60.1 acres of park space. The report said that reducing the number of holes from 18 to 9 would have a “significant impact” on park space in the southeastern area of Alhambra. It recommended that Alhambra study the potential for repurposing the golf course for parks and recreation uses.
In a required response letter, Chris Paulson, Alhambra’s Director of Parks and Recreation, wrote that there was great potential for the golf course to attract more people, given the demographics of the surrounding area, according to an analysis from Z. Gordon Davis and Associates that the city commissioned. Paulson said that a new golf course operator, set to start in 2019, would address this issue.
The letter also disputed the acreage of park space that was mentioned in the report, as well as the assertion that Moor Field not be included in this acreage, since it’s owned by the Alhambra Unified School District. Instead of 60.1 acres, the city calculated 65.86 acres of park space and defended the inclusion of Moor Field, which has been recently opened to the public.
The Alhambra City Council voted unanimously to approve this response letter during its meeting on Monday.
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