Committee considers golf course hearing

Members of the Open Space, Environment and Sustainability Committee talked Wednesday about holding a public hearing for the long-considered Decker Lake Golf Course. Community members called foul when the committee allowed local activist Brian Rodgers to speak against the golf course, allotting him 10 minutes compared to the routine three for citizen communication. Environment Board Chair Mary Gay Maxwell sat in on the meeting. She agreed that more time, across the board, needed to be given to this item. “It has not gone through adequate public scrutiny to get to the point where it could go sailing through the Council,” she said. Richard Suttle, attorney for the golf course developer, was among those who felt Rodgers should have been allotted the usual three minutes — and nothing more. Maxwell said if they were talking about fair process, why had the golf course proposal not been brought to her board? Suttle said the developer would gladly present at the Environment Board. “And I look forward to your coming, Mr. Suttle, and we’ll give everybody lots of time,” said Maxwell.