Former Executive Golf Course - Updated 4/9/24

As of January 12, 2024, the District took ownership of 55 acres of the property informally known as the ‘Old Executive Golf Course’ and has 18 months from closing escrow to purchase the remaining 41.5 acres. In March, Some of those options include various types of funding, while other options may include public-private partnerships. One of several key factors in deciding on what financial route to take for acquiring the remaining portion of property will be what the community envisions for that open space.

During the time leading up to the acquisition of the property, the District held several community engagements to understand the community’s vision for that area of open space as an alternate to the then proposed housing development plan. Now that the open space has been protected and the District has acquired the first parcel and is working on the option property, it is important that we re-engage with the community to listen and collectively determine the future of this important central area of El Dorado Hills.

District staff engaged with two highly qualified companies to solicit proposals and estimates on an outreach plan and conceptual designs. Staff then presented options based on those initial proposals at the March 14, 2024, Regular Board meeting. Following the March 14th meeting, District staff met with each firm individually to explain the project in more specific detail and requested revised proposals incorporating the Board’s feedback.

The District received two revised proposals for assisting with an outreach plan, meetings, and conceptual drawings. The proposals received are from two consulting firms that have experience with this type of community engagement, and have worked with the District before, Stantec and Callander Associates.

Each consultant provided a detailed updated proposal that came in within $50 of each other. The deciding factor is that Stantec’s proposal includes several more Stakeholder Meetings (Three vs.Ten). Each consultant’s approach included two town hall meetings and two online surveys as well as several public meetings with the Board of Directors. Considering the proposals are very similar, staff are recommending Stantec because of the extra stakeholder meetings included in their proposal. A decision to award the professional services contract will be made by the Board of Directors at the April 11, 2024 Board Meeting.

Upcoming Milestones:
April 11, 2024
The District Board of Directors meeting will award a professional services contract for outreach plans and conceptual designs.

Completed Milestones:
March 28, 2024
Ad hoc meeting with Board Directors Mattock and Paulsen with Interim General Manager Hornstra and Director Administration and Finance Gotro to review planning for the upcoming community engagement project. Robert Leach, President of West River Hotels provided an update on his development concept plans.

March 14, 2024
Board of Directors provide direction to Staff at March Board meeting for funding and areas of focus for public engagement options .

January 12, 2024
As of January 12, 2024, the District took ownership of 55 acres of the property informally known as the ‘Old Executive Golf Course.

This webpage was created to provide information related to the El Dorado Hills voters' and property owners' support and priorities for the preservation and/or acquisition of the former Old Executive Golf Course.

To read more about the history and current proceedings of the Old Executive Golf Course, please see the District's 2022 Special Edition Guide. Please consider subscribing to our monthly e-newsletter to stay informed regarding ongoing news and updates. Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram for new posts regarding this exciting acquisition.

January 12, 2024 - El Dorado Hills Community Services District Closes Escrow on Purchase of Former Old Executive Golf Course

EL DORADO HILLS, CA – The El Dorado Hills Community Services District is happy to announce that escrow for the initial purchase of 55 acres on the old executive golf course has closed...

Read the full press release here.

January 3, 2024 - Escrow Update

As outlined in the District’s agreement with Parker Development (Purchase and Sale Agreement), the original Escrow closing date was set for January 3, 2024. Upon further examination of the feasibility review requirements (Subsection 14.b), the “Feasibility Period” was established as 45 days from the effective date of the Purchase and Sale Agreement. The 45-day feasibility period will end on January 11, 2024, and therefore extends beyond the original escrow closing date of January 3, 2024. An amendment has been executed to extend the original closing date to align with the end of the feasibility period. The new effective closing date is January 12, 2024.

December 27, 2023 - Financing Option Decided

After staff brought financing options to the Board on December 14th, the Board of Directors opted to use Reserve Funds to pay cash for the $10 million land acquisition of 55 acres of the Old Executive Golf Course.

This option will keep the District from incurring debt and the financing obligations that would follow. Staff will keep the Board and Public informed as we carefully navigate through the next 6 months and re-evaluate at a later date if financing is necessary to maintain the level of service that is expected from the Community.

The District will start the process of building the 2024-2025 fiscal year budget in January 2024. This will provide a better picture of the District’s cash flow needs and whether financing should be considered. The District will need to adopt a reimbursement resolution at the January or February Board Meeting to extend the financing option out 18 months from the purchase of the property. While this option is not the direction the Board is expecting to go, it keeps options open to allow the District to seek a Lease Revenue Bond if needed.

To read the entire Board Meeting packet, see here.

December 5, 2023 - FAQs

Your District Board of Directors unanimously approved purchasing a major portion of the Old Executive Golf Course. So what does that mean for El Dorado Hills? Here we answer some of your FAQs:

Q: Where can I watch the Special Board Meeting?

A: Watch November's Special Board Meeting video here.

Q: Where can I read the press release?

A: Read the official press release here.

Q: Where can I watch the video announcement?

A: Watch General Manager Kevin A. Loewen's special video message here.

Q: What is the price of the land?

A: The cost for the package of items in this agreement is $10,000,000. This dollar amount will purchase fifty-five (55) acres of the Old Executive Golf Course plus the donation of eleven (11) acres abutting the Archery Range, extending towards Wilson Blvd. The agreement also includes in-perpetuity current zoning & use of the Old Executive Golf Course property. This purchase option affords an opportunity to purchase the remaining 41.5 acres at the per-acre cost of $240,000.

Q: Will the land be turned back into a functioning golf course?

A: Plans for the land have not yet been determined. However, we will be preserving the current zoning of the former Old Executive Golf Course.

Q: How long does the District have to purchase the land?

A: The District and community have eighteen (18) months from the closing of escrow on the 55-acre purchase to obtain funding/financing, which may come through private sources, public bond measures, or a combination of the two.

November 30, 2023 - EDHCSD Approves History-Making Deal to Purchase and Maintain Original Zoning of Old Executive Golf Course

Board of Directors Unanimously Approves Deal to Preserve Historic Community Recreation Space
The El Dorado Hills Community Services District (District) Board of Directors unanimously approved purchasing a major portion of the Old Executive Golf Course, therefore preserving 55 acres of cherished parks and open space land in perpetuity.

Since 1964, the site that once occupied the Old Executive Golf Course has stood at the heart of the El Dorado Hills community. The community has grown significantly over the last 60 years, and the land has taken on many forms. This space was always intended to be a space for recreation, where the community can gather and enjoy the outdoors.

Acquisition Saves and Preserves Contested Land
As an unincorporated community, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors determines important land use decisions for El Dorado Hills. Recently, the Board of Supervisors were poised to approve a development application to build up to 1,000 units of market-rate housing on the Old Executive Golf Course site. If approved, this development would have drastically transformed this site and further limited the open space in El Dorado Hills.

Agreement Protects Open Space & Recreation
To protect this cherished open space, the District reached an agreement with the site developer to preserve the property for parks, open space, and recreation - keeping the space open for public use, as it was always meant to be.

Under the agreement, the District will purchase 55 acres of the site for $10 million, with 11 extra acres included at no additional cost. The developer will maintain ownership of the remaining 43 acres of the site. However, the District will be given 18 months to obtain funding to purchase the remaining acreage for the cost of $240,000/acre. This funding may come from future private or public sourcing.

We are Thankful for You
This would not have been possible without the strong outpouring of support from the El Dorado Hills community. Whether you have been fighting with us for months or years, community members, we thank you for your support.

To rewatch the recent Special Board Meeting, please see here.
To view our official press release, please see here.
To hear a personalized message from General Manager Kevin A. Loewen, please see here.
To learn about the history of the Old Executive Golf Course property and how we got here, please see here.

June 9, 2022 - El Dorado County Planning Commission Meeting
The El Dorado County Planning Commission met again for the continued public hearing. The Developer's Rezone Application and Development Agreement were voted down by a 5-0 vote. The Planning Commission has sent their suggestions to the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors for a final vote that is anticipated to happen late this summer. More information for this meeting can be found on the El Dorado County Website.

May 31, 2022 - El Dorado Hills CSD Special Board Meeting

The District's Board of Directors came together at a Special Meeting to edit and approve a [letter ] to the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors (with copy to the El Dorado County Planning Commission and El Dorado County Planning Department), demanding that they not approve the Developer's Rezone Application and Development Agreement. View the letter HERE.

May 19, 2022 - El Dorado Hills CSD Special Board Meeting
A 1,000-unit housing development was proposed at the Old Executive Golf Course despite current zoning and years of feedback from our community. We held a meeting on Thursday, May 19th to provide the community with more information about the historic site, and to get community feedback on how the community would like to see the property utilized. We had posters with proposed options that the community could pick from (images below) and an opportunity for public comment. There we just over 100 people in attendance in person, and 76 attended the Zoom meeting online.

April 28, 2022 - El Dorado County Planning Commission Meeting
The El Dorado County Planning Commission met and opened a public hearing regarding the future of the Old Executive Golf Course Rezone Proposal. The Commissioners heard testimony from the Developer and County Staff. Many public comments were heard. Due to the timing of newly provided information from the developer and county staff, the Planning Commissioners motioned to continue the Public Hearing until June 09, 2022 to allow for more public comment and digestion of the newly provided documents. More information for this meeting can be found on the El Dorado County Website.

Community Feedback Survey
The results of our 2022 community survey and feedback received at the meeting were sent to the El Dorado County Planning Commission. There were several concepts available for consideration. Below each image is a link to be able to view the document in PDF format for better detail.

Exec Golf Course Low Impact Open Space Trails 052022