TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Golfers weren’t expecting this to be their last season experiencing Bayview Retirees Golf Course as it stands.
Signs pleading to save the 11-hole course surround the property as the city plans to take a majority of the green. That’s because next door is Toledo’s wastewater plant. The city says it needs to repair and expand, cutting into the course.
Volunteers say the same people show up to golf at the facility every week during the season. People like Steve Capser, his brother and their dad.
“You’re not just shutting down a golf course, right, you’re destroying a community,” Capser, who is also a volunteer at Bayview, said.
Capser’s been helping lead the charge to preserve the course, even coming up with an alternative layout that he says allows less space to be removed.
“Achieve a win-win solution, keep the golf course open and make sure that the waste water reclamation plant has the space it needs,” Capser said.
A City of Toledo spokesperson confirmed that on Wednesday, the city terminated Bayview’s lease. According to Capser, the lease was supposed to extend until 2028.
Deputy Mayor Abby Arnold also wrote a letter to Capser explaining why leaders thought his plan wasn’t feasible for city needs, including needing a fence around the wastewater plant, and available space for construction activities.
Capser and the other golfers said they haven’t seen the final plans. They want to understand the changes, and have a seat at the table.
“We don’t believe that this is the final say,” Capser said.
Deputy Mayor Arnold said the city’s plan is a compromise. It includes keeping the clubhouse and four holes, also invitation to use other city-owned golf courses.
Capser and the other golfers aren’t satisfied. They are going to keep swinging for a chance to save their course and plan to meet on Sunday to discuss next steps.
Meanwhile, the city is requesting bids to put up fencing around part of the plant and golf course.
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