Fifteen acres of land that once was the Sunset Hills Golf Course at 13360 W. Watson Road will be leased to the St. Louis Bombers Rugby Club. The remaining acreage will be named for Steven J. Bander, who donated the parcel to the city.
Acting on general discussion points from an October board work session, the Sunset Hills Board of Aldermen at a Feb. 26 special meeting voted unanimously to extend a 25-year lease to the St. Louis Bombers Rugby Club.
The Bombers, a national rugby club that has been competing since 1962, will use about 15 acres of the city’s 115-acre property formerly known as Sunset Hills Golf Course to create a three-field complex with bleacher seating, parking, rest facilities, concessions and lighting for at least one of the fields.
City Administrator Eric Sterman said a rugby park and the donated land “is a good match. This will be a nice amenity for the community. The use fits.”
According to the agreement, the Bombers will pay $1,000 for the first year of leasing the ground, $2,000 for the second year and $3,000 for each of the subsequent 23 years. The project, estimated to cost about $350,000, will require no city participation or public money.
Bombers representative Ron Laszewski told the board the team and its “alumni” backers will foot the entire bill for building and maintaining the rugby park.
“Our mission is to grow the game of rugby. Rugby is growing through the roof nationally, and this a great area to launch from,” Laszewski said.
Laszewski, a former player and current rugby coach at Lindenwood University, said the St. Louis County area is enthusiastic about the sport, with Lindbergh High School having a team.
The next step will be state-mandated eco-studies, and ground could be broken by late spring of this year.
The board briefly discussed what the city plans to do with the remaining 100 acres of donated land. A portion will remain as a golf driving range, which the city will either operate and maintain or lease to a vendor.
Though there is some apparent concern among aldermen who don’t want the rest of the property to grow wild, it appears the city will allow it to return to its natural state and be dedicated as Steven J. Bander Park. Bander was the owner of Sunset Hills Golf Course who donated it to the city.
Tapawingo Streets
Though apparently little has changed since the residents and owners of Tapawingo On The Green, Manors of Tapawingo and Tapawingo Golf Club last proposed the city assume maintenance of their streets, they have formally asked the city to reconsider.
At recent committee meetings, Tapawingo representatives have reviewed a number of conditions the city in 2017 said must be met before the city will take over their streets.
Bob Flynn, a Tapawingo On The Green trustee, made a presentation to the board last Tuesday, explaining how some of the city’s conditions have been met.
Flynn said the city would not be exposed to liability relative to the golf cart paths and that landscape boulders that had been a point of contention are outside the city right of way.
The city and Tapawingo still disagree as to how many concrete slabs on the network of private streets need to be replaced and at what cost. Those streets include Gary Player Drive, Maple Drive, Caddyshack Circle, Pagada Parkway, Flagstick Court, Collar Court, Break Court, Sunny Dawn Court and Marchen Circle.
The Tapawingo contingent contends only 50 slabs must be replaced, while the city last determined more than 100 would have to be replaced.
“(Tapawingo’s streets) are now public thoroughfare. They are regularly used by the public, and we are not pleased with our streets being used like this,” Flynn said.
Flynn asked the city to re-survey the condition of the streets. The board gave little feedback and took no action at the Feb. 26 meeting.
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