In a fitting display of turn about fair play a Special Amherst town meeting will discuss the fate of the Cherry Hill Golf Course, just as it did on the night of April, 29, 1987.
Yes, it has been twenty years since Amherst took by eminent domain the bucolic former cow pasture turned golf course. The Special Town Meeting that long ago night (mainly called by immediate neighbors) invoked an “emergency preamble” to the warrant article thus making it Referendum proof.
In the twenty years of town operation the course has lost money in thirteen of them now totaling over $900,000 (not including the original $2.2 million purchase price). And in only ONE year (FY90) did Cherry Hill show profits equal to what Niblick Management is now guaranteeing us for the next three consecutive years ($30,000/year).
The warrant article (sponsored by Amherst Taxpayers For Responsible Change) for the special town meeting reads:
To see if the town will strongly urge the Select board to strongly urge the town manager to accept the recent bid of Niblick Management for privatization of the Cherry Hill Golf Course with a new condition allowing for a three year contract; and if Niblick is no longer interested, to reissue the new RFP (with the three year provision) before September 1, 2007
http://www.masslive.com/hampfrank/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1176796967319050.xml&coll=1
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