Splitting the City Park golf baby

The City Park golf course is remaining. At least most of it, and in much the same geographic footprint the 9-hole course has occupied since 1928.

The suspense-ending decision—announced by Josh Brooks, the Sasaki planner and landscape architect working with BREC—came at the start of an invitation-only stakeholders meeting on the City-Brooks Park Master Plan, held Monday evening at the Knock Knock Children's Museum.

What it means: While the reimagining effort is about the entire 154-acre park, the decades-long debate about the golf course has dominated the process. Sasaki's "split the baby" attempt left both sides unhappy.

Says it all: "Sasaki won't make any recommendation to remove golf as a program," said Brooks.

• "We're going to keep the golf course, but carefully adjust the footprint around the edges," said Lanmuzhi Yang, a senior associate at Sasaki.

The big picture: Sasaki's team of designers unveiled two primary options for the park—a big loop concept that strives to bring park users together from the outside in, and an "active armature" pitch that works from the inside out along Dalrymple Drive, which bisects the park.

• The loop proposal focuses more on nature along the park's border with the University Lakes, with active areas—including a 400-meter track and rec center—in the Brooks Park section of the complex, as well as the area near the existing Raising Cane's dog park.
• The second option builds out from Dalrymple and includes more community activity space around the lakes.
• Both concepts include tennis courts, a sports field, croquet, a putt-putt course and various food and drink options. There's also space for an amphitheater, playgrounds and an expanded footprint for the popular Baton Rouge Gallery.
• One attendee pressed Sasaki on what she called the neglect of the Brooks Park side, noting the first public survey didn't include questions specific to that half of the facility. Brooks outlined planned improvements—a rec center, upgraded pool and public track—but acknowledged the connectivity gap is real.
• More details about the master plan will be revealed at a public meeting tentatively set for April 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the McKinley Alumni Center, moved there from the original venue in anticipation of a larger turnout.

All about the golf: Almost all of the feedback from the roughly 30 community stakeholders revolved around plans for the course.

• Sasaki and BREC officials repeatedly said the master plan remains a work in progress. Still, the working theory is to alter "three or four holes," reducing the yardage to 1,950 yards from its current 2,300 yards and making it a par-31 course (currently par-32).
• In the corner where the third tee box currently sits, renderings show an enlarged putting and practice area and a mini golf course.
• Yang, responding to desires to leave the course untouched, said the plan is to "improve the golf experience" with "comprehensive improvement."
• One attendee raised a pointed question Brooks could not answer: whether the proposed alterations would jeopardize the course's status as one of roughly 25 municipal Tom Bendelow signature designs still in existence in the country. Brooks acknowledged Sasaki had not yet posed that question to the relevant organization.
• Developer Scott Bardwell challenged Brooks directly, suggesting Sasaki had predetermined its recommendation on golf and was running public input as cover. Brooks denied it.

Management matters: Brooks confirmed that Sasaki's scope of work includes evaluating whether City-Brooks Park would be better served by a 501(c) (3) nonprofit conservancy model—similar to arrangements used by parks around the country—rather than by continued management by BREC. A recommendation to the special committee is expected within two months.

The bottom line: As one attendee said, "Give Sasaki credit, they found a way to upset everyone."