Menlo Country Club faces uphill battle in opening door for expansion

This article is a disappointment in that it contains several errors. Menlo is not appealing the denial of a zoning change, they are appealing the decision to classify Menlo, which is clearly a country club, as strictly a "Golf Course" within the existing zone classification. Anyone familiar with Menlo knows this club is much more than just a golf course, as defined in the town report. The town has the ability to classify the club as a "Private Noncommercial Club," which is a much more applicable designation for this "club." The contention that classifying Menlo as a "Private Noncommercial Club" would open up the property to future commercial development is wrong and misleading. Menlo would still have to abide by the conditions set forth as a conditional use property in the SPC-10 zone district, the original zoning designation. The fact that Ms. Young chose to include a statement relating to "Community Commercial" zoning was out of line since it is not even an issue and only incites the surrounding community about future development that will never occur. Has there ever been a non-profit shopping center. This club is not, and never had, asked to be rezoned as "Community Commercial." The sad thing is that this,Golf Course" classification has resulted in an "absurd result," something Ms. Young claims to want to avoid. Finally I would ask Ms. Young how she determined that Menlo's primary land use is golf? Did she conduct any studies relating to that issue or did she just look at the percentage of land covered by the golf course? I would have hoped that Ms. Young's decision would have backed up by more evidence, such as how many members of the club use the club solely for golf verses other activities; swimming, tennis, and social.

The way to tell whether Menlo Country Club is primarily for golf course use or not is the number of full memberships (which include golf course use) with social memberships (which don't have unlimited access to the golf course).

If it quacks like a duck... FORE!

TIGER..........I give you a TEN in the 19th hole!