COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — The Council Bluffs City Council voted down a resolution to designate Dodge Riverside Golf Club as a "transitional preserve." That designation would allow the city to prepare it for sale to a developer.
- There was a heated discussion at City Hall on Monday night. The council heard speakers for and against the resolution for roughly two hours before beginning their own debate.
- Large employers, including the hospitals and Council Bluffs Community School District, express support for the resolution. They cited concerns about workforce housing.
- Several golfers who use the course, as well as others, spoke in opposition to the resolution. They cited a range of concerns including a need for recreation and green space, concerns about flooding, and that the land was originally a gift from the Dodge family.
SEE KATRINA'S STORY HERE
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
After a long and spirited debate, the Council Bluffs City Council voted against a proposal to sell Dodge Riverside Golf Club to developers.
I’m Southwest Iowa reporter Katrina Markel.
Diane Storey: “Since it opened in 1927, this course has been a community treasure."
Two and a half hours of passionate discussion from neighbors and council members.
Terry Oswald: “There are some real things wrong with this resolution.”
The city council ultimately decided not to move forward with a resolution, which would have prepared Dodge Riverside Golf Club for an eventual sale to housing developers.
Major employers, including CHI-Mercy Hospital President Kristen Blum, spoke in favor of the resolution, citing a need for workforce recruitment.
Blum: “And I think one of the best things we can do is encourage those that we’re attracting to work in our community to also live in our community.”
Neighbors opposing the resolution included several avid golfers: “With a lack of things to do, people are leaving the area. You have to give them quality of life things.”
The measure failed — two votes to three, but that doesn’t mean the issue will disappear.
Councilman Chris Peterson, who voted against the proposal, said that there might be future plans to develop the golf course that he would support.
