The former Royal Oak Golf Course is officially under interim management guidelines nearly a year after the Capital Regional District bought it for $8.5 million.
Regional district directors adopted the guidelines at a Sept. 11 meeting.
The new guidelines describe what can take place on the 27-acre site until a park management plan is approved and consultation is carried out with First Nations about their interests in the land, the district said in a statement.
The public remains welcome to use the property, the district said. Hiking trails will be maintained for walking, running, leash-optional dog walking and other pedestrian uses.
The land is also home to a population of threatened western painted turtles, which will be monitored, with steps taken to protect and enhance their habitat, the district said.
Staff are investigating options to partner with an established recreation group to continue disc golf on the site on a temporary basis, the district said.
“The consideration of formally sanctioning disc golf on the property on a long-term basis, as well as other more active outdoor recreation opportunities, such as cycling and equestrian use, would need to occur through the development of a parks management plan.”
No formal decisions have been made on the future use of the land. Any updates to the management plan would include a public engagement process, the district said.
A nine-hole course on the land closed nine years ago. Its owner put the property on the market in the spring of 2023 for $9.5 million.
>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
