Concord officials turned down plans for a smaller-scale, less expensive addition to the clubhouse at the publicly-owned golf course in favor of the larger options under consideration today, according to an architect working with the city.

Doug Proctor, a senior vice president with the H.L. Turner architectural firm contracted for this project, said Wednesday that their team had floated to city officials a few different renovation possibilities that were smaller than the one on the table now. They were told, he said, that those designs were too small to meet the needs of the course, and so the architects pursued the larger plans for a renovation with an addition and a total rebuild, which carries a roughly $8 million price tag. 

After public outcry put the brakes on plans to build a new $10.3 million clubhouse at the Beaver Meadow Golf Course a year ago, Mayor Byron Champlin asked for a slate of building options — a renovation of the existing building, a renovation with an addition, and new construction. Because smaller options were waved down, the design for a renovation with an addition has roughly the same square footage, facilities and price tag as the proposal for a totally new building — leading many city officials, so far, to discount it.

On Wednesday, the golf course clubhouse committee recommended the city go with the brand-new building. Committee members dismissed the option to add to the existing structure, saying it was essentially the same size but with more construction disruptions and slightly higher costs than a new building.

Tom Croteau, a non-golfing member of the committee who lives near the course, reiterated support for a new clubhouse saying it could function as a new citywide facility. 

“I’m still convinced that this can be a place where non-golfers can come and enjoy — and spend some money as well,” he said. 

The lowest cost option – renovating the building on the current footprint, with an estimated $5.4 million price tag — was dropped because committee members felt it did not meet the needs of golfers and others who use the clubhouse, including those who cross-country ski at the course in the winter. 

“I reject that,” committee member Mark Coen said of the renovation option. “To me, it makes sense to go with option three, which is for the new building, because it doesn’t interrupt the cash flow and the operations of the course during the construction.”

Compared to the design weighed by councilors a year ago, the plan endorsed by the committee is about a third smaller, at 10,500 square feet. It also doesn’t include the $900,000 cost for redoing the parking lot, which has already been approved separately by city council this year and paid for with a Golf Fund Bond. With the cost of the parking lot removed, is about $1.4 million cheaper — a 14% drop. Notably, though, the price per square foot for the plan has risen: excluding the parking lot cost, last year’s building came in at about $627 per square foot. The plan winning endorsements now is about $767 per square foot.

Committee members said they believed a new clubhouse would boost the course’s cash flow.

“I also think one of the advantages of option three is that it will generate more revenue,” said Linda Mattlage. “I mean, in this little falling down space, the golf course is generating a fair amount of money. I think that in the newer clubhouse, we would be able to generate even more with more functions and a better function room.” 

Public outcry over designs a year ago protested that the city hadn’t more thoroughly considered renovating the current clubhouse or explored a smaller-scale upgrade. 

After reviewing their options, city officials, so far, have reached the same conclusion as they did back then: that the clubhouse needs to be not only repaired but upgraded, and that the now-$8 million investment to do that is worthwhile. 

Plans will next go before the city’s Fiscal Policy Advisory Committee, comprised of city councilors, who will weigh different funding paths for the projects before it goes before the full council.

Catherine McLaughlin can  be reached at cmclaughlin@cmonitor.com.