Commissioner Rosano called on the City Commission to protect a city-owned golf course after a Planning & Zoning Board meeting considered changing the parcel’s zoning to recreational to allow redevelopment.

Rosano said the planning board vote was close — she described it as passing “2 to 1” — and that any change to the golf course parcel will affect open-space planning in the surrounding dense development. She urged the commission to wait for a formal amendment to the comprehensive plan before considering any redevelopment proposals.

At the commission meeting Rosano said the golf course was designated as open space in the city’s comprehensive plan and that changing its designation would require deliberate review: “We should somehow try to preserve that golf course,” she said, citing the parcel’s value as a buffer for dense development and as a community amenity.

Rosano also criticized recent downtown redevelopment proposals that would convert city-owned parcels into hundreds of apartments, and she said residents expect retail, dining and entertainment when city property is redeveloped rather than high-density apartments.

The Planning & Zoning Board hearing that Rosano referenced met the night before and advanced an item related to the golf course; Rosano said the board’s action will return to the commission for future consideration. No formal commission action on the golf-course parcel occurred at the meeting beyond the commissioners’ discussion and public comments.

Commissioners discussed process and the timing of any future vote. Rosano asked the commission to consider the taxpayers’ interests, referencing a prior lawsuit and remarks made at the planning meeting. Several commissioners reiterated that any rezoning tied to a redevelopment proposal should come back to the commission after the required plan amendments and public-notice processes.

Public comments at the meeting echoed the desire to preserve the course and criticized rapid redevelopment proposals; residents urged the commission to prioritize open space and to consider community preferences when disposing of city property.

The matter remains in an early stage. Rosano asked for the commission to await any comprehensive-plan amendments before acting on developer proposals affecting the golf course.