[1/21/04]Taking what could be the next step toward developing a golf course overlooking the Mississippi River, Vicksburg officials entered a deal Tuesday to pay half the cost of a needs assessment of the former Vicksburg Chemical plant property.

The Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen agreed to pay $15,000 for the study despite objections raised by one citizen who said the golf course could never make money.

John Shorter, 103 Starlight Drive, encouraged board members to look at remarks concerning the Dancing Rabbit Golf Course in Philadelphia, part of the Silver Star Resort and Casino.

Shorter asked that the city obtain a copy of a PBS interview with Chief Philip Martin in which Martin said that the resort’s course was not profitable. Shorter also asked that the interview be aired on the city’s cable channel RCTV 23.

Officials said they will look at the interview, but added that the proposed municipal course here could not be compared to the resort course near Philadelphia because the two would cater to different customers and have different standards of maintenance.

A golf course at a casino also provides free play to high spenders.

“They don’t spare any expense on the aesthetics over there,” said South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman, a former golf pro.

Beauman said a study done by a third-party consultant firm for Arcadis, one of the partners in redeveloping the former Vicksburg Chemical property, showed an $8.5 million golf course here could pay for itself in less than 10 years.

He said the proposed golf course on 220 acres off Warrenton Road could host about 50,000 rounds of golf a year, about the same number as Dancing Rabbit, and would charge $50 per round. At that rate, the golf course would generate about $2.5 million a year in revenue, enough to pay off a bond issue for the construction.

Today, there are two golf courses locally, the Vicksburg Country Club, a private course, and Clear Creek Golf Course, owned by Warren County, which has about 45,000 rounds played each year. A round of golf at Clear Creek costs $18.

Plans for the undeveloped land south of the river bridges and north of Rainbow Casino also call for the cleaning of 40 acres of chemically contaminated land, reopening the chemical plant and construction of about 232 homes on vacant land previously owned by Vicksburg Chemical.

The company shut down last year, laying off about 100 workers and leaving land that requires constant monitoring by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. Mayor Laurence Leyens said the city will ask the state to put up $3.5 million to $4 million to help with the estimated $8 million cleanup.

Harcros Chemicals Inc. of Kansas City, Kan., is paying half of the cost of the needs assessment study through Arcadis. Leyens said that study is needed to identify possible funding sources.

He said if the money for the cleanup cannot be secured, deals for the golf course and reopening the plant could be dead.

“And we’ll be dealing with a messy situation forever,” Leyens said.

MDEQ, which was given control of Vicksburg Chemical’s 540 acres in southern Vicksburg, has been negotiating with Harcros and Arcadis, a Dutch multinational corporation with U.S. headquarters near Denver, to take over the site and reopen the chemical plant.

Today, MDEQ is spending about $50,000 a month monitoring the site to prevent more contamination.

Vicksburg Chemical and its predecessors have operated at that site for 50 years, producing pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers and fuel additives. Contamination at the site is believed to go as deep as 40 feet underground.

The property includes 500 acres adjacent to the plant that had served as buffers while it was in operation. That land is reportedly not contaminated.

In other matters the city board:

Approved interlocal agreements with Warren County for E-911, ambulance service, assessing and collection of property taxes and the sale of property for nonpayment of taxes.

Supervisors also approved those agreements, which now have to be approved by the Attorney General’s Office.

Approved minutes.

Recognized city employees who have been working for Vicksburg for five, 10, 20 and 25 years.

Awarded sealed bids for towing, mosquito control chemicals and fire hydrant parts.

Approved a $75 one-forth-page ad for the Vicksburg Theatre Guild.

Approved advertisement for the Jackson Touchdown Club for this year’s Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame banquet.

Approved a $125 advertisement for the Vicksburg Employee Heart Fund golf tournament.

Accepted a proposal to sell a metal building at 600 Depot St., for $101 to Jimmy Vinson and Billy Vinson.

Approved allocation of $620 to the Human Services and Parks and Recreation departments to sponsor a Valentine’s Dance for high school students from 8 until 11 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Jackson Street Community Center.

The city board will meet again at 10 a.m. Monday at City Hall Annex.