HISTORIC HANCOCK GOLF COURSE FACES POTENTIAL CORPORATE REDEVELOPMENT

by Clay Dafoe
August 25, 2013

On Tuesday evening, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department will receive a presentation on a proposal to redevelop the Hancock Golf Course into an $8,000,000.00 condominium project. The plan involves construction of a 55 unit residential complex that will include a mixed use commercial element. Jim Huddleston of the Crawford, Huddleston and Co. mediation group will be giving the presentation.

Neighbors in the Hancock Neighborhood Association have expressed outrage over the plan and are preparing a resolution for the City Council to adopt that will preserve the historic golf course, a central feature of the neighborhood. The Hancock Golf Course was designed and has been in continual operation since 1899. It is currently one of the oldest golf courses in the state of Texas.

In an email to the Austin Neighborhood Council Hancock resident Barbara Epstein complained, "Area residents only learned of this proposal a couple of days ago. How could your board (or the city) consider something that so directly affects our neighborhood without any notice to us or an opportunity to be heard at our meeting? I don't think area residents want remaining neighborhood vparkland turned into high-density housing. We're the people who live here and pay taxes so our position as stakeholders should be just as important as this outside developer's or a city planner's."

The hearing on the proposal for corporate redevelopment will be held Tuesday, August 27th at 6pm at Austin City Hall.

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Proposal-underway-to-sell-and-redevelop-Hancock-Golf-Course-221017031.html