'Brown, smelly, sad': Shuttered Tempe golf course causes problems for neighbors
TEMPE, Ariz. - Tempe's Shalimar Golf Course closed for good in April and the owners are working to sell to a developer and build more than 200 homes.
But, FOX 10's Steve Nielsen learned while that plan is being reviewed, residents say a smelly new problem has developed.
When the water stopped, the problems began.
What they're saying:
Follow Kathleen Ross through her backyard gate and you see what’s been troubling her.
"It’s dying," Kathleen said about the course and its wildlife.
For years, residents have been fighting to keep the 9-hole golf course afloat.
"The pond is completely dried up," Allan Ross said.
A resident captured a video of the fish dying in the drying pond days ago. On May 27, a FOX 10 drone couldn’t find any water left.
Kathleen says the smell of the dead fish has been awful.
"Sit outside and enjoy the evening weather or our patio or the pool because of the grossness. It’s nauseating. We have to go inside," she said.
What we know:
FOX 10 didn’t hear back from the long-time owners, but they wrote an opinion piece earlier this year saying they saved this course many times over the years, but it’s time for a new partner.
A developer is asking to rezone the land to build 244 homes over two to three years. It would bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue yearly.
"It’s going to destroy the neighborhood," Trudy Mussigman said.
She says they prefer for golfers to tee off again, but if it’s development, they want acre lots as neighbors.
"I get it you’re trying to get the most money out of your investment, but you also have to think about the 106 homes that are surrounding your land," Mussigman said.
Kathleen says she wants the water turned back on.
"Brown. Smelly. Sad. Abandoned," Kathleen said, describing her backyard view.
There’s a community meeting on June 4 and 11 at 6 p.m. at the Church of the Epiphany in Tempe. All are welcome.