The owner of the recently closed Quail Walk Country Club asked the city to consider purchasing the property during a regularly-scheduled Wetumpka city council work session on Aug. 6.
According to owner Earl Singleton, the Quail Walk Country Club was an asset to the city and its business community in the years it was open.
“A lot of people swam in the pool since they were children, and a lot of people played golf out there. I just think it would be such a sad thing to see Quail Walk closed and kept closed,” Singleton said.
Singleton said it would be beneficial for the city to purchase the property and open it as a public pool.
“I’ve heard talk of the city needing a pool, and there’s a pool already out there. There are tennis courts out there. There are 1,060 acres of river land out there,” Singleton said. “I feel like, if there’s any way, the city should at least look at this thing and see if there’s not a way that they could purchase Quail Walk and keep it open.”
Council member Kevin Robbins inquired about the property’s asking price, to which Singleton responded with the price of $2 million. Singleton said he has not had the property appraised, but can have that done if the city is interested.
“I have spent approximately $650,000 on improvements since I purchased it in 2008,” Singleton said. Singleton said he would ask $1 million less than he originally invested when he purchased the property. He said he did not turn much of a profit from owning the pool, but it did not cause him any financial strains, either.
“If it’s operated efficiently, it will pretty much pay for itself,” Singleton said. “It’s not like you’re going to have to come up with a lot of money.”
Robbins said much of the area where the property lies is in a flood zone, and asked if the pool and the tennis courts were in that zone. Singleton said the golf course is partially in the flood zone, and nothing else.
Mayor Jerry Willis said this is the first time the council has heard this proposition, and said the council has much to consider before deciding whether to move forward.
“We will let the council digest what they’ve heard tonight and make a decision on whether they’re interested,” Willis said.
