HomeMy WebLinkAboutcomment letter DiRienzo,Brittany
From: Norman Holcomb<hiridge415@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday,December 18,2023 12:20 PM
To: DiRienzo,Brittany;Scott,William;Whritenour,Robert;Selectmen
Cc: Gilmore,Scott
Subject: Bass River Golf Course Bridge Proposal
Attention!:This email originates outside of the organization.Do not open attachments or click links unless you are
sure this email is from a known sender and you know the content is safe.Call the sender to verify if unsure.
Otherwise delete this email.
To:Conservation Commission Members December 18,2023
Regarding:Bass River Golf Course Bridge Proposal
In 2017 the Bass River Golf Course bridge was irreparably damaged and was removed with appropriate
approvals from the Conservation Commission.
At the time of this event,I was still on the Selectboard and was closely monitoring the progress of our golf
operations.Due to the golf industry's overbuilding and various societal issues,our golf operations were
incurring annual financial losses.The courses were in debt to the Town,with no accumulated reserves. The
Town commissioned consultants to develop options to address these serious financial and operational issues.
So,in 2017,the Yarmouth golf operations were in no financial or political position to borrow additional funds
from the taxpayers to fund a bridge replacement.
•
This background is offered only to address one of the central reasons that the replacement of the bridge was
delayed.And while this issue may not be an overriding concern for the Conservation Commission,I hope that
the Commission,in its discretion,will recognize the practical considerations in municipal fiscal policy and grant
an extension to the Golf Department in replacing its previous bridge rather than requiring an application as a
new proposal.
In addition to the financial obstacles cited above,the Golf operations have also had to deal with COVID-19,
closing for some time and operating with restricted access for additional months.Fortunately,Covid also
became a major source of revenue for many outdoor activities,including golf.Yarmouth Golf has been
fortunate to have several years of profitable operations and has developed reserves which now make it
possible to invest in capital improvements,including the Bass River golf course bridge.I hope that the
Conservation Committee will also recognize that when reserves are developed by an Enterprise Fund like our
golf operations,decisions to spend those reserves are subject to Town Meeting approval.Before this can
occur,however,the reserves must be certified by the State. These requirements can lead to long planning
cycles.Again,while this is not of paramount importance to the Conservation Commission,it should be a
sufficient reason for considering this proposal as a replacement rather than requiring that it be viewed as a
new proposal.
1
As the Commission knows, one of the reasons cited for replacing the bridge is safety concerns related to the
current routing of foot and golf cart traffic adjacent to the 13 tee. While it may not seem obvious to a non-
golfer, the speed of golf ball flight, combined with misdirected shots, combine to make safety a major
consideration in golf course design. The current temporary routing from the 18th hole alongside the 13th hole
would never be considered in the original design. While I lived and played golf in Vermont I witnessed a
significant injury to a friend while she approached an adjacent tee, in a cart. I believe this issue is not only a
safety concern, but is also a liability issue to the Town for allowing this dangerous condition to continue.
For these reasons, I ask the Conservation Commission to grant the Golf Operations permission to replace its
bridge as soon as possible based on its proposed designs which, I believe, have been developed and modified
to address the Committee's concerns.
Thank you,
Norman Holcomb
96 Center St. Yarmouthport
2