PRESS RELEASE - Port Townsend City Council Votes on Vision and Policy Direction for Golf Course

Vote determines a mix of uses and access, including continued use of a 9-hole golf course

PORT TOWNSEND - Port Townsend City Council voted unanimously this week to advance a vision and policy direction for the future of the Port Townsend municipal golf course. The decision comes after over 14 months of focused and intense community engagement including open houses, surveys, targeted meetings, and a regular stakeholder committee that met 13 times over the course of a year. With the policy direction set by City Council, staff will now work collaboratively and negotiate with an emerging non-profit organization on terms for operating the course and park.

Mayor David Faber says, “I recognize that this has been a challenging process for most of us with a range of perspectives to consider as part of the decision-making process. I’m encouraged that the vote tonight represents a creative solution and something for everyone now and into the future. City Council looks forward to seeing the details emerge from staff negotiations with the community nonprofit as we put the vision into action.”

The process this past year was a response to City Council direction to staff in late 2020 to enter into a 3-year operational agreement for golf, to investigate alternative use concepts for feasibility, and to develop and refine these concepts with broad community involvement, including the possibility of extended golf use.

Director of Parks and Recreation, Carrie Hite, says, “I’ve been inspired by the level of engagement in Port Townsend, especially over the past year. In my entire professional career, I’ve never seen people show up in the numbers like they have in our community. I’d like to thank all those who have shared their perspectives and, in particular, members of the stakeholder group who worked really hard to identify common ground solutions.”

A draft phasing and access plan was presented to City Council at their 9/25/23 meeting. Find that plan as the last page of the 300-page packet below and here: https://cityofpt.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=3705&met...

Engagement included, but was not limited to:

• An onsite project launch with over 100 participants
• Three sets of virtual/in-person open houses with hundreds of attendees
• An open house at the high school
• Three surveys with over 3000 participants
• Small group outreach to over a dozen groups
• Several City Council meetings and workshops during the 14-month engagement period

For more information visit the Envision the Port Townsend Golf Course and Mountain View Commons website for more information: https://cityofpt.us/engagept/page/envision-port-townsend-golf-course-and...