Source: The Miami Herald
The Miami Springs City Council is looking favorably on proposals by the Miami Springs Children's Golf Foundation of Miami Springs to create a three-hole golf course for children, including handicapped kids.
But when the matter came up for discussions at a council meeting Monday, foundation officials were told to come back with more specific plans.
Foundation officials wanted the council's blessings for their plans to raise funds for the project aimed at introducing physically and mentally disabled children to golf at a proposed George Batchelor Special Kids Golf Center.
The facility would also be available to other children who live in Miami Springs.
''There are two issues: junior golf and Children's Golf Foundation,'' Councilman Eric Elza, a staunch opponent of the project, said by phone Thursday. ''I want someone from the Batchelor foundation to come and tell us they are donating $300,000 to build a facility and a three-hole golf course. I don't think it can be done on that kind of money.''
Miami Springs could not ''be responsible for providing services for all of the children of Dade County, challenged or not,'' Elza said. ''Our first objective is to look after the the children of Miami Springs. Does the city need a third party operator to provide a facility for challenged kids? I don't think so.''
But Elza's is a minority view.
''I am going to try to help make it work,'' Mayor Billy Bain said in a telephone interview Thursday. ''It does not bother me that the handicapped kids are not from Miami Springs.''
Councilman Peter Pacheco, who is running against Bain in the April 5 election, echoed the mayor.
''How can you be against helping kids less fortunate than us?'' Pacheco said by phone. 'If we have the space and the dollars to do it, I say, 'Why not?' It only brings positive publicity to our city. The big question seems to be where to put it. I am not against the program even if the disabled children do not live in Miami Springs.''
Councilmen Jim Caudle and Rob Youngs, in separate phone interviews, also support the idea of the golf center for handicapped children.
Said Caudle: ''I don't know how you can have a heart and not want this. Their plans are not complete yet. Bottom line is, come up with a plan. I think it's a great program and it is needed.''
But, Caudle said, the city needed to protect land use of the golf course.
Dan Bradley, manager of the city-owned golf course, said there was no room now for children and the center would serve a useful purpose for all children.
''Mainstream kids without any golf skills need a place to learn without getting in the way of the golfers on the links. Our golf course would be too difficult for them to play,'' Bradley said.
Speaking during the meeting, Elza disagreed with that point of view, saying the city would suffer revenue losses it couldn't afford.
''We as a city cannot take the loss of revenues from the driving range,'' Elza said. ''These kids are too distracting. They are a detriment to the driving range.''
Officials of the Children's Golf Foundation will return to the next meeting of the City Council later this month with more specific plans for their golf center.