I was at the meeting Tuesday March 10 discussing the proposal for golfing at City Park and it seems to me the opinions split down three ways: those who endorse the plan as is, those who definitely want to see not as is or as anything, and the majority who see that this proposal as is should not go through. I count myself among that majority and do agree with some of the reasons.

There needs to be made economic feasibility studies based on the very real and worst recession our nation has seen in several decades and hydrology and environmental studies to know the true impact. Only six trees will be displaced, but that's post-Katrina after the storm destroyed very many trees and it seems that is the new standard, Post-K, being used here which is not a thorough appraisal of how many trees City Park will ultimately lose and not have replaced post-Katrina and post any final development. The addition of multiple bodies of water without knowing the true impact of how they will interact with the addition of multiple impermeable surfaces, (i.e. asphalt and cement,) is shortsighted. The lack of will to conduct these studies shows that perhaps the board is desperately putting its eggs in one basket to find a reliable revenue stream.

This plan is not well thought out up to now. The proposed fees will out price most golfers in New Orleans who will go to other cheaper greens. The money is not there in light of the banking meltdown; there is much much less money to go around for civic causes. There is a focus on solely golf in the part of the Park north of 6-10 with a couple of pockets reserved for park users with no regard to cyclists and joggers and walkers who may want to use the periphery of the courses such as they do in Audubon Park.

What is needed is access to all and this 33% or so of the park devoted to golf with no sharing of use is bad PR, regardless that it may raise property values which is highly unlikely since nothing else is; though two high schools are coming to my neighborhood for instance, I learned that lots are still selling for less than they should. This new proposed golf course is not going bring residents to New Orleans, new industry and jobs will. At best the hopes for this proposal will add to tourism, but rise to be the base of tourism. It is the history of New Orleans that draws tourists.

To vote now as is without conducting the aforementioned studies would be bad PR. It is already bad PR that citizens don't trust that developers of the new housing at the former St. Bernard housing site are directly involved in this new proposal; people believe this is the beginning of the wholesale selloff of City Park. This is not a municipal golfing proposal, it is a country club proposal. How many professional golfers are there compared to recreational ones? How many rich people are there compared to all the average wage earners who live in New Orleans? This is a course for at best, 2 % of the population.

Henri André Fourroux III