After more than a year of closure, the Litchfield City Council was pleased to have a tenant reopen its golf course clubhouse bar and restaurant two years ago.
Now the owner of Shady’s No. 7 is interested in purchasing the building instead of leasing it.
“It’s hard to pay a $3,000 a month lease,” Shady’s owner Chris Schaffer said. “We’d rather pay a $3,000 a month payment.”
Schaffer, who operates eight other restaurants in the region under the Shady’s name, told the council on April 3 that he’d like to invest about $250,000 in renovations and improvements, but having to work with three entities — Shady’s, the Litchfield council and the nonprofit golf clubhouse management board, Litchfield Golf Course Inc., for any structural changes in the facility is time consuming and difficult.
Such an offer took the Litchfield City Council by surprise on Monday evening. “We have a lot of questions,” Councilor Betty Allen remarked, echoing the sentiments of other councilors.
Schaffer told the council that Shady’s owns the golf course clubhouse at its facility in Cold Spring, and leases the Pro Shop there back to the golf course. Councilor Eric Mathwig asked for a copy of that lease, so the council could understand terms of such a potential arrangement.
Any sale of city property is subject to a lengthy legal process, and Schaffer indicated that he is aware that any sale — if a sale is even feasible — would take a year or more. His current lease extends through the end of 2024.
“But I’d like to get the ball rolling,” he indicated.
He expressed openness to a variety of arrangements, including assisting the city in managing the entire golf course. “It loses money,” he reminded the council, which has been operating—and subsidizing--the city-owned course as a public entity for decades.
“We have to see what kind of reception we get from public opinion,” said Mayor Ron Dingmann.
The council acknowledged Schaffer’s verbal offer, concurring that a lengthy discussion about future management of the city’s golf course and clubhouse was in order. An initial workshop to study the matter will probably be conducted on April 17.
Members of Golf Course, Inc. also attended the April 3 meeting, and indicated their openness to working with Schaffer, the Shady’s corporation and the city on managing tis facility. “Our members have to decide what to do with our property,” said Golf Course, Inc. President Carl Minton.
Utility rate workshop set for May 1
City Engineer Chuck DeWolf walked the council through the upcoming need to adjust consumer rates for city utilities, including water, wastewater treatment and storm sewer runoff. He noted that gradual increases in rates could mitigate the need for a huge spike in rates in the future.
The council set a workshop date to study options for setting rates for May 1; time to be determined.
Other business
- The council heard an annual G.A.R. Hall report from Director Danelle Erickson. She indicated that her board is pursuing grants to replace some windows and a fire door and otherwise preserve the historic structure. A city/township open house at the G.A.R. Hall will be conducted 6-8 p.m. Thurssday.
- Following a public hearing, the council adopted Phase II of its Wellhead Protection Plan.
- The council denied an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for renovations at 100 Sibley Ave. N. The City’s Historic Preservation Commission had reviewed the application and has told the applicant that what he submitted is incomplete and requires more information and detailed plans before it can be approved.
