Westborough finance board debates $450,000 design borrow for golf‑club building

The Town of Westborough Advisory Finance Committee devoted extensive discussion on Oct. 7 to Article 10, which seeks a $450,000 borrowing to design and potentially replace the golf‑club building. Committee members questioned whether the town should fund full biddable designs immediately or first pay for a smaller, targeted feasibility study to determine whether the facility could be self‑sustaining through a pro‑shop lease or restaurant rent.

Several members said they favored limiting the scope to a design that would allow the committee to determine whether the project could pay for itself through a lease or other revenue stream. Concerns included the cost of a two‑story plan, lease payment levels required to support a restaurant, the municipal building committee’s pending vote, and the potential need for staged funding if a preliminary design led to a more ambitious plan requiring additional appropriations.

Members discussed alternatives, including a lease/leaseback with a private operator or a scaled‑back pro‑shop with modest amenities. Some argued the town’s ownership of the nine‑hole course currently allows operation at or near breakeven and that private developers looking to profit may prefer land redevelopment. Others emphasized the committee should avoid subsidizing a restaurant and should require clearer evidence that the proposed design could be financed through operating revenues.

The committee agreed to seek further information from the municipal building committee and to revisit Article 10 after the municipal building committee’s next meeting. The advisory committee did not record a formal, final recommendation on Article 10 at this session.