Belmont's future may not include golf

The future of Belmont Golf Course may not involve golf.

During a daylong retreat Jan. 11, Henrico's Board of Supervisors reached a consensus to direct county officials to begin a master-plan process for the site, which Henrico purchased from the Hermitage Country Club in 1977 and has operated ever since. That process, which could take as long as a year once it begins, would create a vision for uses deemed best for the site in the eyes of planners.

The golf course has lost money each of the past five fiscal years, including bleeds of about $240,000 each of the past three, Recreation and Parks Director Neil Luther told supervisors during a presentation at the retreat.

The course thrived for years in the 1980s and early 1990s, peaking at about 55,000 rounds played during fiscal year 1992, but – in keeping with industry trends – has experienced declining numbers most years since. During fiscal year 2018, about 7,000 golfers – only about 3,000 from Henrico – played a total of only about 22,000 rounds.

Luther recommended that the board authorize a master plan study to consider other possible uses for the site, and supervisors agreed.

"I think we owe it to the citizens to give this a look," Board Chairman and Varina District Supervisor Tyrone Nelson said.

Though Luther didn't suggest any other specific uses for the site, he cited Dorey, Deep Run and Three Lakes parks – the latter two of which are similar in size to the Belmont site – as examples of county parks that attract significantly more visitors. (Deep Run had 312,000 visitors during FY18, while Dorey had 221,000 and Three Lakes had 86,000, he said.)

Henrico's purchase of the Belmont site in 1977 for $904,000 “is really the reason that we have a parks system today in Henrico County," Luther told the board. The opportunity for the county to purchase the site galvanized an effort to support a $7.1-million parks bond referendum that funded it.

The Belmont complex also includes an 18,000-foot recreation center, which hosts numerous county and private events and serves a number of senior citizens. Three Chopt District Supervisor Tommy Branin opined that most citizens would be more upset to lose the recreation center than the golf course. But any plans to redevelop the course for another use – such as a park – almost certainly would include the recreation center or a new one, Luther implied.

The opportunity to master-plan the site also could provide a chance to include plans for rehabilitating the Lakeside Youth Baseball complex, which sits adjacent to the portion of the golf course on the south side of Hilliard Road, Brookland District Supervisor Dan Schmitt said.

Henrico has spent money on several occasions to temporarily improve that complex – which is sometimes termed "the Lake," Schmitt said, because of how frequently it floods – following water damage.

Luther previously briefed supervisors about Belmont's decline during the board's two-day planning retreat last January, and his department later solicited bids from golf course operators as the county considered turning over operations of the course to an outside group. But all of the groups that expressed interest would require the county to pay for the improvements that are necessary at the course – most notably installations of new sand bunkers and a number of new greens, many of which do not drain well, Luther said.

Though Belmont's demise has followed a familiar path for golf courses in general, it's also been hampered by those deteriorating playing conditions – which make it less appealing and which have forced its closure after rain – and from the county's inability to serve alcohol or conduct other events that private courses can, Luther said. (Supervisors voted years ago to ban alcohol at all county-run facilities.)

"It's death by a thousand cuts," Luther said. "Being competitive in a market environment is not in our wheelhouse.

Fairfield District Supervisor Frank Thornton made a point to remind board members that when the county purchased the site, it included a swimming pool – perhaps a hint of one use he would like to see return to the site.

Late last year, the Citizen was first to report about an eye-opening plan that would have remade the Belmont site into a mixed-use site with residential, retail, hotel and office space supplementing an indoor arena and outdoor sports adventure park with a whitewater course. A local development group presented the detailed plan in response to the county's request for proposals to build an operate an indoor arena.

But a team of county officials including Luther rejected that plan and several others, instead choosing proposals from MEB General Contractors Inc. and Eastern Sports Management, LLC to be considered in more detail. They also suggested that the arena be built on the site of Richmond Raceway in Northern Henrico. A recommendation about a preferred proposal is expected this month, at which time supervisors could decide to move forward with a project.