Committee votes to keep entire Roseland Golf Course heritage designation

A proposal to remove the heritage designation from parts of the Roseland Golf Course received heavy scrutiny on Monday night from area residents.

The City of Windsor’s Development and Heritage Standing Committee ultimately voted to keep the four-acre parcel, which includes a parking lot and clubhouse, under a heritage designation.

“The fact that we were able to get a denial of this development after a year or so is a huge win for the residents of Roseland, a huge win for the residents of South Windsor,” Ward 1 City Councillor Fred Francis told CTV News.

Despite the meeting’s focus on the designation, discussion often drifted towards plans for the site.

Removing the designation would pave the way for a new clubhouse and a potential housing development.

Staff told the committee there are alternative approaches to demolish the current clubhouse without removing the designation.

"I respect the fact that we need a new clubhouse, the board of Roseland knows we need a new clubhouse, the money's there, we can do it quickly and we should be able to move forward on that without having to give up 10 acres of heritage land,” Francis said.

“I think that was the important thing, it's bad process, it sets a bad precedent, and the residents came out in force."

Concerns

Eight residents came forward Monday night to voice concerns over the proposed changes and how it will impact the Roseland neighbourhood.

Catherine Archer, a long-time Roseland resident, feared how the decision could impact the entire golf course.

“If this is allowed, what is to stop this or future city councils to seek other opportunities to convert the golf course to cash?” she said.

Another area resident, James Demers, said while he is open to a new clubhouse, the development must serve Ward One correctly.

“What scares me is if you open one door, you’re going to let others come in and take advantage of it,” Demers said.

“The building is not old, it’s been neglected. That has to be made clear.”

Monday’s meeting continuously created confusion as details in the report contradicted details outlined by staff.

“What happened during this meeting was the lack of confidence in the report, simply because of the changing elements of the report,” said Ward 7 City Councillor Angelo Marignani.

“There was too much confusion from the get-go, and it never led to that ‘yeah this is right, this is the way we should go.’”

In the end, committee members voted four to two in favour of not removing the designation, with one member abstaining.

While the committee’s decision is seen as a victory by residents, the matter will now proceed to a Windsor City Council meeting, where the designation will be debated again.

The property

An 18-hole course, Roseland was built in 1927 following designs created by prominent golf course architect Donald J. Ross. In 2003, Windsor City Council passed a motion to place a heritage designation on the land.

A strategic business plan established on behalf of the Roseland course stated the clubhouse is old, requires major repairs, is operating at an overall loss, and is too large based on need.

Since the city’s decision to move curling club activity to the Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex in the spring of 2024, the clubhouse has remained vacant.

During the same period, city council endorsed a housing plan, which included the optimization of city-owned properties.

The existing clubhouse and parking lot at the Roseland Golf Course were identified as properties with development potential.

Previous residential plans proposed a 38-unit luxury condo building, equipped with underground parking and amenities.