The nine-hole course formerly known as Shallow Creek closed in 2007 and was donated to the town as parkland. Renovation work on the property began in the spring of 2019, but the state issued a stop-work order in March 2020 because proper permits were not obtained.
The opening of a Par 3 golf course in Yorktown, N.Y. could happen as soon as Memorial Day, TAPinto Yorktown reported. Parking and tree mitigation plans are still being finalized.
While the clubhouse and a practice range are nearly complete, the course itself needs to “rest” for a season, so it’s more likely to open to the public in the fall, TAPinto Yorktown reported.
The nine-hole course formerly known as Shallow Creek closed in 2007 and was donated to the town as parkland, TAPinto Yorktown reported. The property is being redeveloped by RC Recreation Development, which has a license agreement with the town until August 31, 2028. The town would be able to extend the agreement in three-year increments until 2037.
C+RB reported on the project in February 2019.
Sometime in 2018, the nonprofit organization began clear-cutting trees on the town-owned property, TAPinto Yorktown reported. An estimated 90 protected trees were removed, about 70 of which were deemed healthy, according to a September 2018 memo from the Yorktown Tree Conservation Advisory Commission.
A mitigation plan presented to the Planning Board on April 12, calls for the planting of 91 new trees on the property, TAPinto Yorktown reported, including 10 river birch trees, 11 giant green arborvitae trees, 23 red cedar trees, and 30 Norway spruce trees.
Two slightly different parking plans—one with 50 spaces and the other with 49—were also presented to the board, TAPinto Yorktown reported. The completed plans will allow the Planning Board to reconvene a public hearing on the site plan, which was adjourned in October.
Renovation work on the property began in spring 2019, but the state issued a stop-work order on March 3, 2020, because RC Recreation had failed to obtain the proper permits, TAPinto Yorktown reported. The stop-work order was lifted on July 24, 2020.
Work then resumed on the property despite the absence of a town-approved site plan and wetlands permit, TAPinto Yorktown reported.
“It’s one of these things that fall between the cracks sometimes,” said Dan Ciarcia, acting town engineer, at the Town Board meeting on April 13. “So, we’re trying to just clean it up and have a proper process to make sure all the local regulatory i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed.”
Town Supervisor Matt Slater said that it has been an “imperfect process” that started before his administration, TAPinto Yorktown reported. Before 2020, the project had not been before the Planning Board.
“We inherited this thing,” Slater told Yorktown News. “We’ve been working with them to get this across the finish line. We’re also making sure this is in compliance.”
Sean Murphy of RC Recreation said he hopes to open the clubhouse and practice range “as soon as possible,” TAPinto Yorktown reported. Though Memorial Day was discussed as a possible opening day, the Fourth of July is more likely, Murphy said.
“We’re cruising along now,” Murphy said. “It’s starting to really come together.”
Per the agreement, amended in 2018, RC Recreation will pay the town an annual food concessions license fee, TAPinto Yorktown reported. Additionally, RC Recreation will pay the town $1 per paid greens fee, $1 per hand-cart rental, 50 percent of net golf-cart revenue, and 100 percent of gross revenue from the sale of park permits to town residents.
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