by Jeremy Hunt
Daily Lobo
Residents of the North Campus area want to stop the University from developing a nearby golf course, but it appears to be a lost cause.
"We're going to move ahead with the retirement community for the North Golf Course with participation with the neighborhood association," said Jamie Koch, president of the Board of Regents.
Koch said the retirement community benefits UNM and the North Campus neighborhood because it will increase property values in the area.
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"Once everybody gets to take a look at what we're talking about doing, it will be very much accepted by the neighborhood association," he said.
Koch said the retirement community wouldn't take up the entire course.
The University has been reducing the course's size for years, and it needs to stop, said Sara Koplik, president of the North Campus Neighborhood Association.
Koplik said residents would be unhappy to see trees and grass replaced by buildings and asphalt.
Koplik said she appreciates the University's willingness to work with community members, but it won't change their opinion of the golf course.
"This will rile people up," she said. "I don't think they understand the depth of passion on
this issue."
Koplik said there are other places where UNM could build the community, such as Q Lot.
"I have nothing against a retirement community," she said. "I would prefer development on asphalt surfaces."
Regent Don Chalmers said it would be a long time before changes are made to the golf course.
"There's a whole lot to be done before anything happens," he said. "There's a whole lot of discussion that needs to take place among the regents and among the University and our neighbors at the University before we move forward."
Koch said the course uses about 70 million gallons of water a year.
Chalmers said it would benefit from development because it's not a good course, and it uses too much water.
Koplik said it is too important to the UNM community and Albuquerque to be made smaller.
"The North Golf Course is the largest green space in the center of Albuquerque," she said. "It is the largest area that is open to exercise in the entire city."
Dean Jojola, a UNM employee, said he frequently golfs at the course.
Jojola said a retirement community would be nice, but it's not worth losing the golf course.
"I'm not too far from work, and this is a good course," he said.
Jojola said he has seen the course change a lot over the years.
"They keep building new buildings," he said. "It seems like they're slowly pushing it out."
Koplik said her neighborhood association will meet with the University in November to discuss the future of the North Golf Course.
"We're deeply concerned," she said. "We would prefer the golf course to remain a golf course."
