A feasibility study is underway in the city of Jefferson that could potentially make some dramatic changes towards the south end of town.
City Administrator Scott Peterson says the City Council approved at the March 25th meeting to enter into an agreement with engineering firm Bolton and Menk to conduct the study about relocating the clubhouse at the Jefferson Community Golf Course to the basement of the nearby Greenewood Community Center, and then removing the existing structure and parking lot at the golf course and converting that into housing developments. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that this has been a concept that has been talked about periodically over the past two decades.
Peterson talks about the importance of doing the feasibility study.
“We get lots of questions about what this might look like and oftentimes the answer is, ‘That’s why we’re doing the study.’ And want to really thoroughly analyze this and thoroughly analyze the opportunities but also the cost that’s associated with this. But I really think there’s some opportunity here to look at a housing development area there around the golf course, and.(an) opportunity for not only some new housing units in town but also of course it increases the tax base in town too. So always looking for those opportunities for some benefit.”
Peterson points out that the price tag for the study is $46,700 of which $5,000 is being contributed by the city and Greenewood, with the rest being covered by Greene County Development Corporation with its special projects fund that is awarded through Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation annually. He stresses why it’s important to have multiple entities involved in a potential project like this.
“So another just opportunity here to look at some great things community wide but it’s a partnership in order to even look at the study. And you find out, I think, that’s often the best way to approach things and it’s the ways that things often gets done in small communities is it takes several entities working together to see things happen.”
Peterson adds that additional grants have been applied for and Jefferson Telecom has notified them of a possible contribution to lessen the amount that GCDC would pay toward the study.