Under the proposed Stevens Creek Corridor Master Plan, the Cupertino, Calif., golf course would undergo changes to enhance its multi-generational appeal. Plans include reducing the turf from 13 to 8.7 acres to save water, adding a footgolf and practice course, creating a new pro shop and replacing the 54-year-old Blue Peasant Restaurant with a new clubhouse.
The city of Cupertino, Calif., has many different plans for Blackberry Farm Golf Course, but the city council wants to hold off on deciding exactly what to do, the San Jose, Calif., Mercury News reported.
The council held a study session April 5 regarding a proposed Stevens Creek Corridor Master Plan. City staff presented to the council an updated vision for the corridor, which includes the area’s Stevens Creek Boulevard entrance, the Stocklmeir Ranch, Blackberry Farm Golf Course, the westside picnic area, its San Fernando Avenue entrance, the Blackberry Farm park and pool, the central creek corridor, the maintenance yard, the sports court area, the riparian peninsula and McClellan Ranch Preserve, the News reported.
The golf course could see the biggest change in the form of a renovation. Renovating the course could appeal to more age groups as well as improve the course’s water-use efficiency, according to a presentation by Ed Getherall, the National Golf Foundation’s senior director of operations, and Forrest Richardson, owner and president of Forrest Richardson & Associates, a golf course architectural firm, the News reported.
The two presenters recommended reducing the course’s turf area from 13 to 8.7 acres, saying the resulting water conservation would amount to $40,000 per year, expand the creek’s habitat and protect water quality. To make the golf course “multi-generational,” a foot golf course, a practice course, a new pro shop, a family-friendly environment and a new clubhouse to replace the 54-year-old Blue Pleasant Restaurant are under consideration. The golf course would be closed during renovations, the News reported.
City staff estimated the cost of course renovations to be $2.5 million to $3 million, which would include a new irrigation system. The cost does not account for a new clubhouse or parking lot changes. Getherall and Richardson estimated that three to four years after reopening, the course would generate about $200,000 per year, the News reported.
A handful of residents spoke in favor of the renovation and encouraged the council to move the project along and not wait any longer, the News reported.
City staff also reported on proposed changes to transform the Stocklmeir property into a “legacy farm,” which staff said would include educational opportunities related to agriculture. Minimal changes are expected for the corridor’s riparian peninsula, the sports court, the maintenance yard, the central corridor and the picnic area. Minimal changes to both entrances, the Blackberry Farm park and pool and McClellan Ranch were included in staff’s presentation, the News reported.
The council chose to hold off on making any decisions after the study session due to time constraints, the News reported.
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