The Oro Valley Town Council unanimously voted on Wednesday to transfer the nine-hole Pusch Ridge golf course back to HSL Properties.
The vote instructed town manager Mary Jacobs to execute a memorandum of understanding that leases the course, along with some of the adjacent facilities that are strictly used for golf maintenance and operations, back to HSL, effective Oct. 1, 2020.
Jacobs said the memorandum also allows HSL, at the company’s cost, to use the town’s golf course management company to operate the Pusch Ridge course.
The agreement comes a few months after the town reached a decision to keep open their three golf courses, including the two 18-hole courses, Conquistador and Canada.
Residents were concerned housing prices would plummet if the town were to get rid of the courses, resulting in an effort to recall Mayor Joe Winfield and Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett. That effort was halted earlier this month.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Barrett said she was “pleased” with the Pusch Ridge decision. “I hope people understand that these things don’t come from nowhere,” she said. “This requires quite a bit of work, especially on the part of our staff and I want to express my appreciation to that as well.”
HSL sold Pusch Ridge to the town in 2015. As part of the purchase agreement, HSL had the opportunity to take back the facilities. The memorandum stipulated that HSL is exercising the discontinued facility lease option included in that purchase agreement.
“The purpose of this memorandum of understanding is to simply outline several provisions that will require some subsequent follow up by which both parties have agreed to include in the future,” Jacobs said, adding that the memorandum includes the transfer of the cart barn.
Before Wednesday’s meeting, Omar Mireles, the president of HSL, had already signed and agreed to the provisions in the memorandum.
Town attorney Gary Cohen said the agreement ultimately benefits the community.
“The bottom line is, from my perspective, this is a win for the city,” Cohen said. “It came after a lot of work, mostly by your manager to negotiate this year, so it’s a good deal.”
