TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Plans in the Town of Tonawanda would give a whole new meaning to a golfer's "short game." The town is considering removing six holes from the Brighton Park Golf Course and using that land for a single-family housing development.
That means Brighton would become a 12-hole course. Town Supervisor Joe Emminger said this idea could help avoid a tax hike for residents and attract young families to the area.
Joyce Murray said her family moved to this neighborhood 40 years ago. One of the reasons? To be close to the golf course.
"It was the golf course and the swimming pool was here and being a young mother at the time, it was lovely," said Murray.
The idea being discussed by the town board is to turn 60 acres of the golf course into a housing development.
Emminger discussed this proposal at a recent town board meeting on March 25th.
"We have to try and increase our tax base. If you've gone to the supermarket lately you know how much costs have gone up and it's going to be a real challenge going forward in order to keep those tax increases under the tax cap," said Emminger.
He was not available for an interview Monday but a town spokesperson said the supervisor has met with numerous people to get their opinions on the proposal.
"We don't have a lot of large houses in our town. We have families. Where do they go? They want a 3,000 square foot house they gotta go to Amherst or Clarence and I hear that all the time," said Emminger.
Under the plan, the section of the course with 12 holes on it would remain the same — but golfers told 7 News they don't want to play just 12 holes.
"Then it would make an incomplete golf course. How could you do that? People wouldn't want to go play golf there," Tamara May said.
Emminger said the town can't move forward with any plan for the site unless it gains control of new parkland along the Niagara River known as the Cherry Farm site.
"There's something called parkland alienation which means if we take away parkland we have to replace it with parkland," he explained at the meeting.
The town said it could be years before a final decision is made.
Murray said she hopes they don't split the golf course.
"My husband is an avid golfer. He's here all the time, a member of the men's club. I just don't like it," she explained.
A spokesman for the town supervisor also told me he recently met with the men's golf club to get their input on the idea. Again, he said it is just an idea and he encourages residents to voice their opinions.
