Residents try to block sale of Martinez' Pine Meadow Golf Course

MARTINEZ, Calif. (KGO) -- A dispute is developing over a family-owned golf course in Martinez. The family who owns the Pine Meadow Golf Course south of Highway 4 agreed to sell it to a developer, but a group of nearby residents is trying to block that sale.

It's been here for more than 40 years, but now the days are numbered for the family owned Pine Meadow Golf Course.

It has a longtime and loyal following of golfers, but just not enough of them. "Economically, I can't sustain it anymore. Thank God I have a little bit of a retirement because I'm using that to pay salaries or fix broken things here. We just can't keep going," owner Christine Coward Dean said.

Seven years ago, the Dean family offered the 26-acre parcel to the city, to see if it could be purchased and maintained as either a golf course or park.

When that option wasn't viable, the family reached out to a local developer.

A deal was made late last year with Denova Homes, which plans to build 99 houses there with five acres of walking trails. "We went through over 30 community meetings for this property over the course of the last several years. The plan that has evolved has been the outcome of all that input," Denova Homes spokesperson Dave Sanson said.

Now, a group of citizens, called Friends of Pine Meadow has launched a petition drive aimed at reversing the city council's decision to change the property's 1970s designation as open space to residential.

"We think that is an issue of critical importance to Martinez both the pine meadow and the wider issue of changing the designation of open space that it should be voted on by the citizens," referendum organizer Tim Platt said.

An avid golfer, Mayor Rob Schroder says the city has already made up its mind. "There's no money here to buy the property, we have 19 parks throughout the city. If the city were to purchase this, we'd have to raise taxes and I don't think people want that," he said.

"The city is not going to buy this property, so tell me as a citizen what am I supposed to do with this land?" Coward Dean asked.

The referendum organizers have until Friday to collect 3,000 signatures.

Dean says either way, she'll have to close the course by the end of March.

For more information on where you can sign the petition, click here.