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Pinellas' new bag: Toytown tee times
By LISA GREENE, Times Staff Writer Pinellas County officials have long dreamed of turning the long-closed Toytown landfill, located on 240 acres of prime land just off I-275, into a golf course. But now, after years of little action, they are finally taking a step toward making that idea a reality. County utilities staff members are working on a feasibility study and conceptual plan to present to county commissioners in April, utilities director Pick Talley said Wednesday. Commissioners haven't yet seen the plan, but most of them said they would like the county to build such a course -- as long as it doesn't cost too much. The course would need to pay for itself, they stressed. "I'm anxious to see the study," said Commissioner Bob Stewart. "I've often thought that a golf property could be a real enterprise. . . . It would be revenue-generating, it would be green space and it would be environmentally friendly." The county has yet to answer a lot of questions about the project -- most importantly, how much it would cost. About $8-million worth of earth work, such as adding fill dirt and protecting the clay cap of the landfill, would be needed before the course could be built, Talley said. But Stewart, whose district includes St. Petersburg, pointed to that city's three golf courses, as well as the county's Airco Golf Course, as evidence that government courses can succeed. The county took over Airco, located on county land next to St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, last July from a company that had leased the land from the county. Since then, play has increased about 30 percent, county officials said. But that won't continue. The county plans to shut down the golf course in the next few years to make way for expansion of the airport, and possibly a business park. Toytown is probably the county's only option to keep operating a golf course, Stewart said. Other commissioners had all kinds of ideas for the course, including tournaments and high school use. It could double as a job training site for teens or welfare clients, suggested Commissioner Karen Seel. It also could draw users to the high-speed rail line proposed to run to Pinellas, said Commissioner John Morroni. "We need active outdoor recreation for our citizens, and you never have enough golf courses," said Commissioner Calvin Harris. Jeff Hollis, golf courses director for the city of St. Petersburg, agreed with Harris -- even though the city's Mangrove Bay course, at 875 62nd Avenue NE, is just a few miles from Toytown, on the south side of I-275 and Roosevelt Blvd. "If Airco goes away, I think the county clearly can support another public golf course," Hollis said. "There are very few public access courses in Pinellas." Hollis pointed out that St. Petersburg built Mangrove Bay on an old landfill. "It's a great use for the land," he said. "You take something that was an eyesore and turn it into a lush, green, attractive facility." The upfront costs have discouraged private investors who have considered developing the site, Talley said. But it's possible the county could find environmental grants, or use silt that needs to be removed from Lake Seminole, to help cut the cost. What type of course remains to be seen as well. Talley envisions 27 holes with a nice clubhouse and restaurant. But how elaborate should the course be? "If the county's going to do it, we should do it first-class," Morroni said. Others say it's too soon to know whether the county should aim for a nice, middle-of-the-road course or to hire a nationally known course designer. Commission Chairman Barbara Sheen Todd has her own vision. "I think it would be neat to see if we could re-create the world's toughest 18 holes," she said.
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From the Times North Pinellas desks |
