The Cedar Hills City Council will debate the fate of the city's golf course on Feb. 20 -- a decision made after two hours of discussion last week.

At the center of the debate over the golf course is a proposal from the city staff to reconfigure the 18-hole golf course and develop at least 53 residential lots on the property. The city would then use the revenue from the development to pay off the $6.25 million general obligation bond passed last year to keep the golf course solvent.

Before the next golf course debate, though, Councilman Gary Maxwell, who supports retaining the golf course, said he would meet with members of the Cedar's Home Owners Association to see if he could determine if the HOA would support the proposed change.

"We will have an informal HOA meeting," Maxwell said. "If I don't get enough support, then I will give up."

"If that's what you need, then you have my blessing," said Councilwoman Charelle Bowman.

In order to develop 15 of the proposed resident lots, which are located in the Cedar's subdivision, members of the HOA would have to vote to change the association's covenants, which prohibit any more homes in the area.

Councilman Jim Perry told council members he didn't think the Cedar's residents would approve the change unless the council could present them with a clear picture of what would happen if the proposal is denied.

"What's the alternativefi" Perry asked. "If there's no alternative, I'm not sure (the HOA members) will vote for it."

Alternatives discussed at the meeting ranged from selling off more of the golf course and retaining a 9-hole course to abandoning the golf course outright.

At one point in the meeting, councilman Joel Wright, frustrated with time the council has spent on the issue, made a motion to shut the golf course down within six months, and then look at other options. The motion failed for lack of a second.

City Manager Konrad Hildebrandt said the plan, which would eliminate the existing par 5 15th hole and add a new par 4 8th hole, would have a minimal effect on the golf course.

"We would lose one stroke on the course, trading a par 4 for a par 5," he said.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D2.