Published: Feb. 2, 2016
Tee-time confirmed
Approval of expenditure account makes Erin Hills a go for
the 2017 US Open
By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News
TOWN OF ERIN — The planning for the 2017 U.S. Open men’s
golf championship at Erin Hills Golf Course can proceed.
At Monday’s town of Erin Plan Commission meeting, the board
voted to approve the creation of an account — a special events permit deposit
bond — of $10,000 to go toward costs the town may need to spend regarding the
planning of the tournament.
Had the move not been approved, there likely wouldn’t have
been a tournament at Erin Hills. Rejection, however, was unlikely.
Examples of what the town may need to spend money on include
building inspection, emergency management, engineering, zoning, etc.
“We’ve got to make sure what they’re planning can conform to
the current plan or the current plan be temporarily adjusted,” Chairman Dennis
Kenealy said.
The vote was 4-1 in favor of the bond, with Bradley Bautz
voting no. He wondered if $10,000 was enough. Helmut Wagner, a board member,
wasn’t present.
The agreement is between the United States Golf Association,
which is conducting the tournament, Erin Hills, which is hosting the
tournament, and the town of Erin.
According to the agreement, “The issuance of that permit,
due to the unique nature of the event, will likely require the Town to use
additional expertise to review all necessary factors related to issuing such a
permit. The Town does not have that expertise available and thus will be
required to contract and pay for that expertise.”
Kenealy said this permit will not make taxpayers responsible
for any costs.
The deposit will not cover permit costs needed to be
obtained by Erin Hills or the USGA for items such as liquor licenses, bartender
license fees and building permits.
“It’s very exciting for us, certainly as a first step,” said
Eric Reinhardt, operations manager for the USGA. “We’re now looking to move
forward and continuing to move in a good direction the next few months.”
For most of the 30-minute discussion, board members asked
several questions about the championship, what the $10,000 would be used for
and if it was enough.
“I think initially, a little apprehensive,” Kenealy said
when asked if the village is excited for the tournament. “But what I gather now
is it’s not excitement, but acceptance.
“I don’t get excitement from it yet. Maybe because it’s too
far away.”
If the $10,000 is spent, the USGA will continue to fund the
planning, making sure taxpayers aren’t liable to any expenses. If the money is
not spent, the balance would be reimbursed to the USGA.
Monday’s meeting was the first step of the planning process as
the USGA prepares Erin Hills and the region for the tournament.
The USGA estimates about 100,000 people being on the grounds
of the course per day, with more attending the final two rounds.
From now until June, the USGA will meet with several local
government boards about the tournament to cover all aspects of hosting and
running a tournament of this magnitude.
“Every area is different,” Reinhardt said. “If we go
somewhere like San Francisco, that’s used to very large-scale events. They’ve
seen pretty much everything, whereas a place like the town of Erin that hasn’t
had something like this, there’s a lot of questions.
“We’re just here to provide those answers for them.”
Among the areas of immediate attention include access to the
course. By June is when the USGA hopes to have a layout of the facility during
the championship week. Tickets for the tournament will go on sale March 1 for
USGA members only. Public ticket sales will go on sale June 13, the first day
of this year’s championship at Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh.
At about that time, the USGA expects to tighten the planning
— for example, making sure where hospitality tents and bleachers will be set
up.
There will be 450,000 square feet of tents for more than 300
tents on site.
Construction for the tournament will begin in March 2017.
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