I would like to urge the city to support an additional 18 disc-golf holes at Richmond Hill Park. This would be an educational course as well. My understanding is that grant money and fundraising has been secured for this to happen, at no cost to the city.
A partnership of this sort is exactly what the city needs to improve tax revenues brought in by the Mountain Sports Festival and other tournaments. This is a unique location for the sport, and it has a wonderful reputation nationally. Bikers and hikers have many other places for recreation near Asheville. Disc golfers do not.
Some history: The city sold the land where the old course was for the National Armory. The swap was supposed to be revenue-neutral, but it wasn't, due to the city needing to step in and complete work the local National Guard didn't [finish], due to their Iraq deployment. I believe the cost to the city was $700,000.
At that time, there was to be a second disc-golf course built, with fields, restroom facilities, etc. This never happened. Volunteers stepped in and contributed about $600,000 worth of work time to finish this work.
I ask that the city please put this project on your agenda and approve it. The volunteers involved have shown they will follow through!
— Bob Turner
Asheville
I frequently see out-of-state plates in the Richmond Hill parking lot. I believe that with a 36-hole course, you would see many more. Asheville would become a real disc-golf destination, and the city would benefit from the tourist dollars.
The city has better things to do and should sell the land for smartgrowth affordable housing. Gay friendly policies will bring plenty of tourists without wasting urban space on disc golf.
[i]The city has better things to do and should sell the land for smartgrowth affordable housing. Gay friendly policies will bring plenty of tourists without wasting urban space on disc golf.[/i]
Sorry, Ditmore, but adequate green space is part and parcel of smart growth. Nice try, though.
Also, I’m very disappointed in you. You managed to write an entire paragraph (albeit a small one) without once mentioning contraception. You’re losing your touch, old bean.
I thought the existing park was some kind of watershed preserve or something and couldn’t be developed in the traditional sense? It is a perfect spot for greenspace and the disc golf seems to fit nicely there
Asheville could easily become the disc-golf Mecca; it already has a great course, becoming world-class is only 18 more holes away.
And yes, there is fresh tourism dollars there. Maybe not a lot, but I think it’s worth it.
The space would better served by a coffee/burrito/pizza/brewery, with a gigantic parking deck
Anyone not living in houses built on Richmond hill park will have to commute past it every day, and commuting past parks is not smartgrowth. So Qit wasting time trifling with discs and fund municipal environmental contraception. Because a childless SUV driver is many times greener than a parent on a bicycle. Happy old bean?