Alternative for putt-putt may be sharing use

Since receiving a split-vote majority of 3-2, St Augustine Mayor Joe Boles has resisted knuckling to pressure from constituents, visitors, participants in “Opinion Polls”, including an online reader poll taken by Historic City News, contending that there are better options for the prime piece of land that has been a miniature golf course since the 1940’s.

Among alternatives discussed over the past year, officially and unofficially, is green space that could be rented by the city as a wedding venue, construction of a carousel, conversion to marina parking, and even keeping the miniature golf course, believed to be the oldest in Florida — but requiring outside, competitive bids rather than automatically renewing the lease with Ripley Entertainment.

“Any continued use as a miniature golf course requires a redesign to accommodate the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act,” Ripley’s manager Kim Kiff told the commission early last year. “We don’t mind investing the estimated $50,000 required to bring the property into compliance, or keeping the generations-old course in operation — but, we need at least a five-year lease to recover that kind of an investment.”

Competitive bids were solicited; Ripley’s bid scored slightly higher than Old Town Trolley Tours, operated by Historic Tours of America. In August, Boles led the discussion that resulted in the 3-2 split vote to abandon the bidding process; in favor of a continued search to determine the highest and best use of the property.

At the City Commission meeting two weeks ago, Historic City News reported that a temporary extension was granted to Ripley’s, until the end of September, in order for the tenant to make plans for summer operation of the attraction.

At Monday night’s meeting, a new proposal may be gaining traction — Boles has suggested that both Ripley’s and Old Town Trolley split use of the golf course ticket booth and tour stop; although a resolution would still need to be reached for the putt-putt course.

Dave Chatterton, Manager of Old Town Trolley expressed interest in paying as much as $25,000 each year for that privilege; likening the arrangement to a similar agreement where both franchised sightseeing tour operators have booth space inside the Visitor Information Center.

“The same offer of $25,000 per year in rent could be made to Ripley’s to maintain their own ticket booth there as well,” Chatterton wrote in a letter to the commission. “This shared use of the property would mirror the existing fair and successful model at the Visitors Information Center.”