County Times covers Sharp Park environmental lawsuit threat

The Mercury News has a good story on the threat of a lawsuit over the environmental management of Sharp Park Golf Course.  The city is in the midst of a controversial privatization process for the course.

The center took the opportunity to speak out against a city consultant’s recent recommendation to invest $18.5 million of private capital into restoring the 18-hole Sharp Park Golf Course to its original design by well-known golf course architect Alister MacKenzie — a design that would involve moving four holes back to the ocean side of Highway 1 and replacing them with multi-purpose playing fields at their present location on the east side of the highway.

Instead, Center for Biological Diversity spokesman Jeff Miller said the seaside property ought to be restored to a more "natural condition" than a golf course. [...]

In the meantime, the city’s solution has been to drain the wetlands — especially one called Horse Stable Pond — to levels below that which frog eggs can survive just as they are preparing to hatch into tadpoles, Miller said.

"We think the golf course, as it’s currently being managed, is not consistent with protection of these species," he said. "We think there’s way more people who like to hike, picnic and do other recreational activities (in this area). The question is, is golf the highest use for this area right now?"[...]

Regardless of the numbers put forward, many think the golf course has a long and glorious future ahead of it. It has already attracted three long-term leasing management bids from different parties, including current course manager Mark Duane.