Almost since the day it closed as a private country club 12 years ago, the future of the former Westwood Country Club has been a major political talking point in Amherst.
Earlier this spring, the town and Erie County cut a deal that would see the county take over the 170-acre North Forest Road campus, for a nine-hole public golf course and the remainder of the property as a park. Town supervisor candidate Dan Gagliardo has another idea.
For him, it is throwback time for the dormant Westwood property.
Gagliardo, a Republican who is in a primary battle with businessman Dennis Hoban, has reached out to the Nicklaus Design Group for their recommendations for the former par-72 course.
Their solution: Turn it back into a sprawling golf course run by a separate entity, or have the town work out a management deal with a professional course operator. Either way, the Westwood would be a public course.
Gagliardo has also suggested Amherst relinquish the nearby Audubon golf course and turning that into either park or put it up for sale.
"We can now go to see if somebody was interested in developing it," he said. "Or what I would like them to do is make this [Westwood] the town golf course and then develop Audubon."
Thus far, Amherst officials declined to comment on Gagliardo’s proposal.
Gagliardo said he is against Amherst turning the Westwood property over to Erie County. He feels like the town is giving up on what could be an asset.
"I think that the town needs and owes the residents to look at every possibility before giving this to the county," said Gagliardo. "Why would we give up home rule?"
Gagliardo said he believes most town residents he talked to on the campaign trail have voiced their concerns about the entire Westwood deal.
"My biggest issue right now is that, forget the election. Forget that I'm running. This is good for the residents," he said. "Every decision that is made in the town requires that we build a consensus."
For now, Gagliardo’s idea is just a proposal.
The winner of the Gagliardo-Hoban GOP primary will face Democrat Shawn Lavin in the November general election.
