(This letter was prepared by the volunteer citizen committee working to
save the golf course.  It is listed here for informational purposes).

 

 

Dear Neighbor,

Congratulations on the fantastic turnout and strong
showing of support for the "Save Normandie" campaign!
The meeting at Incarnate Word Academy on July 19
demonstrated the "unity of the community" resolved to
oppose the Taylor-Morley plan for development of the
golf course into residential and commercial property.
We can take pride in the way our residents and
neighbors articulated our feelings and opinions. Since
July 19 our ad-hoc committee has met twice to continue
to work on strategies to stop the plan from going
forward. Remember, it "takes a Village" (and, in the
case of our neighbors in Greendale and surrounding
areas, a city) to make this happen.

The most visible sign of our campaign is the number of
yard signs that have sprung up. We have had requests
for signs from people all over the county, from
University City to Creve Coeur. This is wonderful, but
locally we need to step things up a notch and really
saturate the area to show how united we are. We have
opened a bank account at Keystone Bank and have
ordered another 200 signs. We are asking for $10.00
per sign to cover the $5.75 cost. Right now our
committee has a total of $300.00 in the bank. This
will be used to make a down payment on the next group
of signs and to help with postage, mailings, etc.

We hope to also raise money and more public awareness
among the St. Louis community by hosting a golf
tournament at (where else!) Normandie. More on this
event later.

So what else can you do to keep this issue on the
front burner?
>   Purchase and display a yard sign. Call Julie
McCormack (261 -6884; 2939 Arlmont), Anna Hook
(382-5786; 2809 Wakonda), Marcie Roye (389-5980; 8206
Audrain) or Linda Hunot (863-6137; #1 Greendale). Cost
is $10.00; $4.25 of each sale goes to support the
campaign.
>   Sign the petition. A call to one of the folks
listed above will get you started.
>   Keep coming to all public meetings. Village of
Bel-Nor monthly meetings are scheduled for the 3rd
Monday of each month currently being held at Incarnate
Word. Next meeting of the ad-hoc committee is
Thursday, August 19 at 6:00 p. m. at the Village Hall.

>   Check the Save Normandie website. Post your
opinions and news for all to share,
(www.savenormandiegolfcourse.com)
>   Talk to your friends and neighbors about this
project and keep informed from sources like the
Post-Dispatch, County Journal, and TV news. 

Write a letter or send an e-mail to our elected
officials explaining your opposition to this project.
o   Charlie Dooley, St. Louis County Executive
41 South Central Ave.
Clayton, Missouri 63105
www.co.st-louis.mo.us (follow links)
o   Esther Haywood, State Representative, 71st
District
House Post Office - State Capitol
201 West Capitol Avenue
Jefferson City, Missouri 65101-6806
www.state.mo.us (follow links)
o   Rita Days, State Senator, District 14
State Capitol, Senate Post Office
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102
www.state.mo.us (follow links)

>   Volunteer to help organize and work the golf
tournament. Call Pat Williams at 381 -0120 or Tom
Putnam at 389-9774. We'll need folks to handle
sign-in, solicit teams, sponsors, and prizes, and
manage the food and drink.

Those of us at the Village meeting last month heard
Bill Taylor describe his company as the "owner under
contract" of the Normandie property. This does not
mean the sale has closed; merely that the developer
has a contract in place with the property trustees to
purchase it if contingencies are met. While these
contingencies are not a matter of public record, we
can assume they revolve around the company determining
that the property is in fact "developable" and no
environmental factors are present that would prevent
the company from obtaining approval from local (e. g.,
fire district) and state authorities to do so. Toxic
chemicals like mercury used on the course over the
years could be a serious health hazard. Even if local
and state authorities grant their approval, our
Village still can use zoning laws and building codes
to dissuade Taylor-Morley from going ahead with their
plans.
Our best hope lies in stopping the development before
it starts; i. e., if we can persuade Taylor-Morley it
will not be worth their while, we can buy some time to
allow for the possibility of another party buying the
property as a golf course. This should be our number
one strategy right now.

Thanks once again for any and all support you can
offer. We sincerely hope the community can rally
behind a plan to save Normandie and continue to
strengthen our neighborhood!

Remember to visit these websites:
www.savenormandiegolfcourse.com
www.belnorthesubdivision.com
www.tavlormorley.com

 

 

 

 

 The City of Greendale has two resident representatives
to address the Normandy Golf Course
(Normandie Golf Club) potential sale issues.  Those
representatives will keep the City informed on the
actions of the committee regarding options and
alternatives to losing the golf course as such. 

Please note that the Normandie Golf Club is within the
Village of Bel-Nor limits, not Greendale's.  We have
no jurisdiction.  We are participating in the
committee as interested parties with a stake in the
outcome.  Sometime during the month of July, a
petition will be circulated to Greendale and Bel-Nor
residents concerning the golf course.  Please be aware
of this effort and make your feelings on the subject
known.  Also, this topic will be on the agenda for the
July 20th Greendale Board of Alderpersons meeting so
that our residents can voice their feelings on this
matter to the Board.