Join to re-open the Mott Park golf course

Please take a moment and review the information on our neighbor's quest in preserving the Mott Park golf course. Tom spoke at the last MPNA meeting and needs our help. We have all been effected by the closing of the course, so now is the time to show support and join this cause! Participate in any way you can... start by e-mailing Tom at saxtont@ath.msu.edu
 

Dear Neighbor,

At the Mott Park Neighborhood meeting a couple weeks back you were kind enough to show interest in getting involved with an initiative to preserve our Mott Park Golf Course. I would like to set up an exploratory meeting in the next couple of weeks with the hope that we can gather all those interested and begin moving forward.

Here's what I am thinking about: Our neighborhood was originally designed around our golf course and park and I feel most agree that having an operating golf course is important to the stability of the neighborhood, the values of our homes, and the general quality of life in our community. It is clear that the City of Flint is in very difficult financial shape and running golf courses is way down their list of priorities. Therefore, as Judge Neithercutt suggested last year, we need to think of other ways to preserve our golf course and parks as neighborhood and community assets.

I would like to gather interested parties and set up an organization to "adopt" Mott Park Golf Course and continue to operate it during the traditional golf season. In my mind all options are on the table and I am open to any and all ideas. The plan I discussed with Judge Neithercutt was to create a non-profit organization to help raise funds and operate the course in a suitable arrangement with the city. Obviously, there are many steps involved with this process but it could turn out to be a very exciting venture with limitless possibilities. There are many logical partners out there that I have already begun to explore and I think we could put together a good coalition.

I recognize that we likely won't have everything in place to open the course as early as April. But I am hoping if we get moving we can work with the city to preserve the space while we are putting our plan together. I will follow-up with a meeting time and place that hopefully you will be able to attend. In the meantime I would love to hear any and all ideas. We need to think outside the box in these challenging times.

I have and will continue to reach out to organizations that could be logical partners like the Flint Junior Golf Association. We also need folks in our community with experience or a passion in specific areas. We could use lawyers, historians, fundraisers, grant-writers, arborists, turf specialists and just folks who would like to help maintain the course. If you know of anyone that might be interested in getting involved in any way, please feel free to forward this e-mail and encourage them to join us.

I do have a strong feeling that the city and administration would work with us, especially with this being an election year.

Please e-mail me back with any thoughts or ideas and I will follow-up soon.

All the best!

Tom Saxton
(418 Dougherty Place)