THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 16, 1994 TAG: 9408160352
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONI WHITT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
A local partnership is negotiating with the city to lease the Sleepy Hole Golf Course in Suffolk and to improve the facilities there.
J.S. Baar, a partnership involving Jim Armentrout, manager of the course, and Ronnie Rountree, president of Rountree Construction in Suffolk, is hoping to reach an agreement this month to lease the golf course. The deal should be complete by the end of September, said Mayor Gloria O. Webb.
The council selected J.S. Baar's proposal above others because it included an extensive plan for renovations to the facilities at Sleepy Hole, including the golf course, the Obici House and the park.
While council members said both the rents and the renovations prompted them to choose J.S. Baar, several council members said they were especially enticed by the increased value to Sleepy Hole in the long term.
``The investment as far as the capital expenditures the operator would make over a period of time was worth substantially more than the others. The city will have a much more valuable piece of property in the end,'' Councilman James T. Martin said.
Council members said they are leaning toward signing a 10-year lease for the golf course.
Armentrout declined to discuss his plans for Sleepy Hole until negotiations become final.
``It's still preliminary,'' Armentrout said. ``I still need input from the city to really know what the scope is going to be. We have large plans for improvements of the facility, but it will all depend on the contract itself.''
Armentrout said he is particularly concerned over the length of the contract and provisions for renewing the contract. ``Obviously if you spend a whole lot of money, you have to have time to recoup your investment,'' Armentrout said.
Armentrout said that if he does negotiate a contract, fees will increase at Sleepy Hole.
Webb said that it would be impossible to improve all the facilities without raising the fees, but that the council hopes to keep it as an affordable recreational space for city residents.
Council members said they are considering capping fees, especially for Portsmouth residents. Many city residents are retired and the city has the lowest per-capita income in the region.
Some courses in the region charge $40 or more for golf. Fees at city-run courses, however, range from $10 to $20. Portsmouth's fees are among the least expensive in the region.
``Anyone who would take over here would have to raise the fees to make money,'' Armentrout said.
A more inflexible point in the contract will be that the city will not allow for racial discrimination of any kind ``either with the employees or the customers.''
In September 1992, the city declined to renew a lease with Chandler Harper, who was accused of excluding African-Americans from the course.
Armentrout manages Sleepy Hole, Bide-A-Wee and City Park golf courses. He said that if he does negotiate the lease on Sleepy Hole Park he will continue to manage the other two courses under separate contracts with the city.
Once the council completes negotiations and signs a contract on Sleepy Hole Park, Pitts said they will begin looking at options for Bide-A-Wee. ILLUSTRATION: Staff file photo
A golfer putts at Sleepy Hole Golf Course, which is in Suffolk but
is owned by Portsmouth. A lease proposal by J.S. Baar includes plans
to renovate facilities at the course, including Obici House.
by CNB