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City wants to purchase Annapolis Golf Club

Moyer hopes to preserve land; county says it's already protected

By LIAM FARRELL, Staff Writer

Published 05/08/08

The city government has made a proposal to buy the 77-acre Annapolis Golf Club property in Annapolis Roads, Mayor Ellen O. Moyer said yesterday.

Annapolis would pay $4 million to acquire the land and maintain its use as a golf course, with some money paid up front and the rest spread out over 10 years, she said. The funds would come from Program Open Space money.

"The proposal is ready," Ms. Moyer said.

There is a potential problem, however. The mayor said that the county - which doles out Program Open Space money received from the state - is refusing to hand over dollars that would go toward the purchase.

County Executive John R. Leopold's predecessor, Janet S. Owens, said in her last budget message she would like to preserve all the Annapolis Roads land. Mr. Leopold, however, has not set aside any money for the purchase. Officials in his administration have doubted it needs any more protection than the convenants that are already on the property limiting development.

And that was the crux of a letter sent April 22 by Frank Marzucco, the director of county Recreation and Parks, to LeeAnn Plumer, his city counterpart.

The county's available open space money for fiscal 2009 will be only about $1 million for land acquisition, which is an 80 percent reduction from last year, Mr. Marzucco's letter says.

In addition, two of the three golf course parcels have a combined development potential of only one house, the letter says. Also, a 1987 declaration restricts the use of the largest parcel to a golf course or other recreational uses, horticultural nurseries and conservation uses.

"(T)he Annapolis Roads Golf Course is protected from development and, therefore, does not rank high enough to be acquired within the limits of available County POS funding," Mr. Marzucco said in the letter.

But Ms. Moyer said the city has a responsibility to guard open space and make sure the land's recreational use is maintained.

"Open space ought to be protected," she said. "I think most people are interested in preserving and keeping this property as open space and seeing that it is used."

This would be the second golf course owned by the city, which leases the more than 200-acre Dwight D. Eisenhower Golf Course to the county. The idea of buying the Annapolis Golf Club property gained support at the city's budget retreat in October, Ms. Moyer said.

"Everyone at that meeting said pursue it, pursue it, pursue it," she said.

Alderman Sam Shropshire, D-Ward 6, whose ward neighbors the property, said one of the most important reasons to buy the land would be to maintain all possible green space in the city.

"We're considering (buying) it, but I don't have any details," Mr. Shropshire said.

A nine-hole course surrounded by homes, the Annapolis Golf Club has had a tumultuous recent history.

In 2005, the course was planned to be developed into ballfields and athletic facilities for St. Mary's High School, with up to 40 homes placed on an adjacent parcel. Residents protested, however, and raised $2.75 million to buy that 33-acre parcel named Ogleton Woods.

St. Mary's backed out of the deal and Ribera Development LLC sued the Annapolis Roads Property Owners Association, claiming it violated a 1986 agreement that restricted land use on the course but allowed building on Ogleton Woods. In July 2006, however, a Circuit Court judge sided with the property owners.

Who owns the golf course is less important than making sure it stays a golf course, said Anastasia Hopkinson, the president of the ARPOA.

The association would carefully examine any proposal dealing with the "jewel in the crown" of the Annapolis Roads community, she said.

"The use of the golf course is what is important to us," Ms. Hopkinson said. "We want to protect the environment."

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stupidity as usual - 2008-05-12 22:05:45

If there is money for this, then I either want a tax rebate or I want the City to start buying up Clay street property as it comes up for sale and bulldozing it until the only thing left is a beautiful park... what an excellent idea for that hole.

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Bruce K. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad

May be a solution - 2008-05-12 11:54:14

Leveling Clay street and building a waterfront park is the only way for Moyer to leave a positive legacy. As it stands now, her legacy is 36 murders and counting, a rotting market house, and not only not listening to residents of Annapolis, but being down right hostile to us.

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Peter D. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Terrible

You go!!! - 2008-05-09 20:24:06

Meris Pervis has a great idea!!!

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Robin S. - Churchton, MD - Karma: Neutral

The Moyer Legacy - 2008-05-09 18:11:47

It is obvious that Mayor Moyer is struggling to leave office with some positive construct that can bear a bronze plaque with her name applied. The Annapolis Roads Nature Park would suit the need to suppress her LDS (Legacy Deficiency Syndrome). Better use for open space money would be to buy the Clay Street HACA project and turn it into a lovely waterfront park just off West Street.

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Mervis Pervis - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad

Annapolis Roads - 2008-05-09 16:22:38

You people have to read. The Mayor wants to buy Annapolis Roads and have the County pay for it. She would probably declare it a green, non-nuclear, crime free zone. Somebody please hurry up the elections!!!!

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Darryl Hagner - Owings, MD - Karma: Bad

Are you kidding me????? - 2008-05-09 15:54:57

Why in the world would you let Ms. Moyer and the city buy this land? I wouldn't let her run my kids ant farm. You know down the road when the city needs money they will sell this land, plus I think the can rezone this land if they own it. Also this dump of a golf course is not worth a nickel!

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HH H - annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad

Green Space? - 2008-05-09 13:08:27

Green space? I haven't played the Annapolis Roads (AKA Augusta Roads) course in a couple of years, but when I did there was nothing green about it. More like a dust bowl than a green space.
Pave it.

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Brian Nurmi - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral