Marysville weighs driving range options

Published 9:00 pm Sunday, September 9, 2001

By Theresa Goffredo

Herald Writer

MARYSVILLE — Marysville City Council is set to decide Monday night how to turn a former golf course driving range into something most residents can enjoy.

The choices, tossed around at a council work session last week, are turning the old range into a softball or soccer field. Also, the city could remodel the area and keep it as a driving range. All those options come with a price tag that would exceed $20,000.

The old driving range is zoned residential and is overgrown with tall grass, tall poles and unsightly nets.

A survey of residents showed that keeping the area a driving range was not a priority. Of those who responded, 13 preferred a soccer field, 13 wanted a recreational play area and 11 want it to remain a driving range.

For the long term, most preferred creating a permanent park or an indoor community center with outdoor recreational opportunities.

The city bought the 6.2-acre parcel at Grove Street and 67th Avenue because council members were looking ahead to when the city might need a chunk of property for expanding city services.

The property’s most recent owner, Iron Eagle Co., defaulted on a loan and the land was put on the bidding block in April. The land was bought May 4 at a bank foreclosure sale by the city for what it considered a bargain at $599,640.

Shortly after the purchase, about 30 neighbors gathered at a public meeting to voice their opposition against multifamily development on the site.

Marysville City Council meets at 7 tonight in council chambers at the Public Safety Building, 1635 Grove St. Among the agenda items is a discussion on what to do with the city-owned golf course driving range.

You can call Herald Writer Theresa Goffredo at 425-339-3097

or send e-mail to goffredo@heraldnet.com.