The old clubhouse grounds at Wakefield Valley Golf Course.
by James Rada, Jr.
For years, Wakefield Valley Golf Course was a Westminster jewel with its rolling greens, sparkling water features, and historic buildings. Then the course foreclosed upon in 2012, and all of the attractiveness of the property disappeared as delayed maintenance issues began to make itself known.
The current owner of the property, Richard Kress, has agreed to donate 187 acres of the property, which includes most of the structures, including the clubhouse, banquet facilities outbuildings and the Durbin House, to the City of Westminster, “with the expectation that these facilities will be refurbished,” according to the Wakefield Valley Task Force video about the property.
“This is the largest parcel of open space left in the City of Westminster and we are delighted that we will be able to preserve it for future use by our residents,” Mayor Kevin Utz wrote in a letter to residents of the city.
Until that use can be determined, the city will maintain the walking trails and ponds on the property so that the public can use them. The city is also maintaining a 25-foot perimeter adjacent to the properties directly joining the golf course and a four-foot-wide strip on either side of the trails. The bridges are being repaired so that there will be a continuous path around the property.
The Wakefield Valley Task Force was formed in July of last year to look at what the long-term use of the property would be. It has met four times and also held public meetings to get input about what to do with Wakefield Valley.
By the second meeting of the task force in September 2015, the group was already receiving feedback on ideas for what should be done with the largest open space in the city.
Members of the HOAs indicated their members like the walking trails, except for people walking through yards to get to the trails and the ponds for fishing,” according to the task force minutes.
The Senior Golfers Association weighed in asking about the possibility of a smaller golf course be renovated on the property.
Other ideas were:
- A disc-golf course.
- Baseball fields.
- Cultural and performing arts center.
Some of the property owners of adjacent property want to purchase a piece of the property that they have been maintaining since the property had started deteriorating.
One thing agreed on from the start is that the task force wasn’t looking for additional residences to be placed on the property.
“They would like the uses to be compatible with the surrounding residential community and be aesthetically pleasing, integrating the beauty, location and size of the property,” the task force minutes note.
The deadline for submitting proposals was April 15, and since that time the proposals have been winnowed down.
The Westminster Volunteer Fire Department requested that a portion of the site be considered for a substation. The Flying Feet Running Club wants to make sure that a running trail is maintained. Sam Riley, representing the Shriver Family Cemetery wants to purchase a historic cemetery on the site.
While these will be considered, the four proposals that best matched what the task force were looking for included:
- A community golf complex
- Sports and recreation project developed by Pinkard Properties
- Cross country course and indoor track facility
- Silver Linings Lavender Farm. “The Silver Linings Lavender Farm was the Biz Challenge winner in 2014 and although they did not submit a business plan, it was required for Biz Challenge,” the task force minutes note.
On August 10, the task force will meet to hear the presentations from the two finalists. The proposals are being kept confidential until that time. The task force will then consider the proposals and make a recommendation to the city as to how to bring back the wonder of Wakefield Valley.
