Title
Authorizing the Parks and Recreation Commissioner, on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, to enter into an agreement for the use of Cobbs Creek Golf Club, Karakung Golf Club, and the City Line Sports Center, under which the operator will restore, maintain and operate those facilities as a single, first-class public golf course, under certain terms and conditions.
Body
BACKGROUND
1. Cobbs Creek Golf Course is famous in United States' golf history. It was designed in 1912 by Hugh Wilson, the noted golf course architect who also designed Merion Golf Club, which hosted the U.S. Open in 1971, 1981, and again in 2013.
2. Since its initial development, Cobbs Creek Golf Course has been reconfigured and changed significantly. In addition, Cobbs Creek periodically floods portions of Cobbs Creek Golf Club and Karakung Golf Club, which interrupts play for extended periods and requires repeated repairs. The golf courses are also subject to vandalism, including from unauthorized persons driving all-terrain vehicles, motorbikes, and other vehicles over them. The City Line Sports Center is in deteriorated condition.
3. The City wants restoration of Cobbs Creek Golf Club to include important environmental and recreational improvements that will benefit nearby neighborhoods and all Philadelphia's citizens, including the following:
A. Conversion of approximately 160,000 square feet of impervious paved surface into landscaped recreation space, which will create a net addition of approximately four acres of new landscaped recreation space.
B. Extensive improvements to Cobbs Creek to greatly reduce the frequency and severity of the creek flooding.
C. Creation of not less than 40 acres of new wetlands, which will help protect Cobbs Creek and help support plant and animal species that thrive in wetlands.
D. An economic opportunity program that emphasizes hiring employees from the local community.
E. Reduced fees ...
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