News

City Council commits to new Fire Station 1, moving minigolf to Edwards Park

By Bill Moss, Published: February 15, 2022

Emphasizing that their plan will result in an improved minigolf experience, Hendersonville City Council members on Thursday gave the green light to building a new Fire Station 1 and relocating the golf attraction across the street.

The council’s action came after a presentation of design and engineering plans that are already far along. The old course will likely be removed shortly after Labor Day of this year so fire station construction can start, City Manager John Connet said.

When Connet asked whether the city administration should move ahead with the new fire station or “put on the brakes,” no council member favored a pause.

The council has heard several times from Larry Phillips, who has led the “Save Boyd Park” campaign, and has received a petition signed by 300 people that called on the city to keep the Laura Corn minigolf park where it is.

But council member Jennifer Hensley said her look into the petition and its supporters suggested that many signers had been misled.

“I personally called over 50 people I knew who had signed the petition,” she said. “They said, ‘We just don’t want the minigolf to go away.’ None of them knew there were plans to move it or rebuild. They were under the impression they were signing a petition to save the minigolf.”

On the other hand, she said, those who understand that the minigolf will be relocated across Five Points to Edwards Park support the council’s decision.

“I think a lot of people are really excited that there’s going to be a minigolf that’s going to be accessible to everyone — handicapped children and grandparents,” she said.

Some longtime residents who signed the “Save Boyd Park” petition have implored the council to preserve the old course in honor of Corn, the beloved manager who handed out the putters and golf balls and sold concessions for decades. Lyndsey Simpson said the new minigolf attraction could have a plaque honoring her and the new fire station could have historic photos in the lobby.