Public meeting seeks input on park at Bobby Jones

As the city embarks on plans to renovate the 293-acre Bobby Jones Golf Club property, officials want community input on plans to convert a portion of that land into a public park.

The city is holding a workshop at Bobby Jones today to gather feedback on the park project. In September, the City Commission endorsed a $15 million renovation plan for the property that would reduce the number of holes at the municipal golf course and facilitate the creation of 47.4 acres of open space — 25 acres on the east end of the property and 22.4 acres on the west side.

The city is working with the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast on a potential partnership regarding the Bobby Jones site. The city and the Conservation Foundation have discussed the prospect of creating a conservation easement for the property, which would preserve the land as public open space in perpetuity. Although the city would maintain ownership of the property, the Conservation Foundation would hold the easement to ensure the land was not developed contrary to the terms of the agreement.

In September, City Manager Tom Barwin said staff could return to the City Commission before the end of the year with more information regarding a potential agreement with the Conservation Foundation.