Board holds public hearing on Winton Country Club contract, tables decision and orders outside legal review

The Amherst County Board of Supervisors conducted a public hearing on a proposed termination and replacement agreement related to the 2018 sale of Winton Country Club (also referenced in materials as Wynton Country Club). County staff presented the original 2018 agreement and the proposed new agreement and enumerated concerns and changes under the new draft.

Staff said the 2018 sale transferred a single 286.7-acre parcel to Waukesha Development for $800,000 and that settlement proceeds were applied to liens, loans and other costs; remaining proceeds were held by the county. The 2018 agreement had envisioned subdividing roughly 70 acres (described in the contract as a fairgrounds tract) and returning it to the county for a future permanent fairgrounds; staff said the county currently does not plan to locate the fair on the Winton property and the original subdivision plan would have removed about six-and-a-half fairways from the operating golf course.

Staff also described a significant-hazard dam on the property. County-contracted engineering work and inspection records were summarized: inspection costs, operation-and-maintenance (O&M) certification and emergency-action-plan (EAP) updates are recurring responsibilities; staff said the O&M certification had expired in 2021 and the EAP is due for update in 2026. Staff provided sample inspection and certification cost ranges and said the proposed new agreement would shift dam responsibilities to the owner rather than the county.

Staff explained the original contract referenced a conservation easement and preservation requirements for the manor house; the preservation society cited in the original agreement no longer exists and federal tax-law limits require a conservation easement to be offered voluntarily by a private owner to preserve tax benefits. Staff recommended terminating the old agreement and approving a draft new agreement that preserves the 18-hole golf course, assigns dam responsibilities to the owner, requires the owner to keep the manor house watertight and in good repair by Dec. 31, 2025, and preserves a county right of first refusal on a bona fide sale offer.

The board heard extended public comment from residents and local stakeholders. Concerns raised in public comment included: whether the county legally owns the 70-acre fairgrounds tract under the 2018 agreement and whether the termination would forfeit those acres; the 2018 sale price and whether the county realized appropriate value; lack of enforcement provisions in both the original and proposed agreements; conservation-easement questions; and regional water-supply constraints that could limit future development of age-restricted or retail parcels.

Following the public hearing, supervisors moved to table the matter and directed staff to seek a second legal opinion to compare the 2018 agreement and the proposed termination agreement. The motion passed. The board asked staff to return the matter to a future meeting when all members could be present and with outside counsel input.