The owner of the Clifton Park, N.Y., property wants to convert the 18-hole golf course into 170 single-family homes on more than 206 acres, marketed to young professionals, empty nesters and active seniors. The plan also calls for 81 acres of common open space for homeowners and 57 acres for the creation of a town park.
William Paulsen Jr., the owner of Eagle Crest Golf Club in Clifton Park, N.Y., wants to convert the 18-hole course into a housing development, the Albany, N.Y.-based Times-Union reported.
Citing a declining number of golfers, Paulsen submitted an application to the town last week to build up to 170 single-family homes on the club’s more than 206 acres. The plan calls for building 90 carriage-style homes and 80 larger homes on about 68 acres of the site; 81 acres of common open space for homeowners; and 57 acres for the creation of a town park, the Times-Union reported.
The application to develop the 51-year-old golf course facility requested an amendment from the Town Board to the golf course’s existing planned unit development, or PUD, zoning, the Times-Union reported.
“The Eagle Crest Golf Course is experiencing a downturn in golf activity which is universally occurring in the golf industry,” the plan states. “With these economic realities facing the property owner, an amendment to the PUD is desired in order to protect their investment in the 206 acres of land.”
There are more 36,000 residents and five golf courses in Clifton Park, a growing southern Saratoga County suburb. What is now Eagle Crest Golf Course opened as a nine-hole course in 1965 and expanded to 18 holes on 150 acres two years later. The Paulsen family purchased the property in 1991, the Times-Union reported.
The number of golfers peaked in 2009, Paulsen notes in his application. He intends to market the homes to young professionals, empty nesters and active seniors, the application states. The number of Clifton Park residents 55 or older is expected to reach 34 percent of the town’s population by 2020, up from 21 percent in 2000, according to the Capital District Regional Planning Commission.
The project, which would create the town park and extend water and sewer lines as public benefits, would require Planning Board approval if the Town Board approves zoning changes. Supervisor Philip Barrett said Wednesday that no timeline had been set for reviewing the application, the Times-Union reported.
“The town approved a PUD for a golf course many years ago,” Barrett said. “We take amendments to PUDs very seriously. I and the Town Board will have many questions. It’s a significant change of use.”
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.