Posted: 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015

Employee disappointed Weatherwax sale imminent

By Rick McCrabb

Staff Writer

BUTLER COUNTY — 

A longtime employee at Weatherwax Golf Course recently attended a MetroParks of Butler County board meeting on a “fact-finding mission.”

He didn’t like what he learned.

Don Hartness, a vocal advocate for Weatherwax, spoke to Kelly Barkley, senior manager of community relations for MetroParks, then addressed the board during its meeting last week. During public comments, Hartness called Weatherwax “a gem in Southwest Ohio,” and a source of pride in the community that provides recreation to thousands of golfers throughout the region.

“What resources do I have to stop this from happening?” Hartness asked the board about the pending sale.

While board members said they were disappointed the City of Middletown sold Weatherwax to a Hamilton auctioneer, who has since agreed to sell the course which won’t be operated following the 2016 season, they said they needed to protect their assets since they own the adjacent Sebald Park.

Ed Dwyer, board vice president, told Hartness the “last thing” the board wanted was to shut down Weatherwax. But if the property was sold, he said, the board wanted to seek the “next best use.”

Hamilton auctioneer Myron Bowling purchased Weatherwax from the city for $1.6 million in 2014, then leased the property to local businessman Jim Kraft. Kraft has said he has a signed leased to operate the 36-hole golf course until Nov. 6, 2016. Hartness said the city “gave it away,” though Weatherwax was appraised at $1.2 million.

In February 2014, the city received two offers for the golf course: $1.6 million from Bowling, and $225,000 from MiddCities in Cincinnati. Kraft and others have criticized the city for selling the golf course, though that reduced the city’s budget.

Board president Greg Amend said the city was losing $300,000 a year operating Weatherwax, though it was paying $225,000 a year on a bond it used for major renovations in 1996.

Funds to purchase the land are coming from Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national non-profit organization. Barkley said the Clean Ohio Fund was providing $2.3 million for the purchase and that the federal Land/Water Conservation Fund was providing $90,000 for restoration work to return the property to its natural habitat. She said the MetroParks general fund would be contributing $10,000 toward the acquisition.

No financial terms of the agreement between Bowling and the buyer have been announced, though board members agreed Bowling probably would make a significant profit from his $1.6 million investment.

The grant funding used by MetroParks to purchase the land is only for passive recreational purposes, and operating a golf course doesn’t fit that criteria, the board members said. They said the property will provide opportunities for thousands of Butler County residents and future sports tourism events such as regional cross country meets, triathlons, equestrian events and more.

Barkley said after MetroParks takes ownership of the property, probably in December 2016, and after planned natural habitat restoration is complete, master planning sessions will occur through a public process to determine what the detailed usage plans will be on the newly combined Elk Creek MetroPark. But it won’t be a golf course, board members stressed.

Amend said eventually Bowling will sell the golf carts and maintenance equipment.

As Hartness walked to his car, he shook his head.

“This is disappointing,” he said. “I guess there’s nothing I can do.”