DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. – It's been a fixture in Dearborn Heights since the 1920s, but Wayne County wants to sell the Warren Valley Public Golf Course to a developer.
Hundreds of residents packed the clubhouse Monday night to shout down the Wayne County staff members who came to detail the plan for the sale.
The crowd heckled and booed the team from Wayne County as it presented its reasons for a proposed sale of the Warren Valley golf course. The main reason was that the county runs the course at a debt.
But that reasoning fell on deaf ears. A developer, Delta Management, wants to mow down the golf course and turn the property into a gated community with 100 to 200 homes.
Furious residents at the clubhouse spent hours Monday night eviscerating the idea.
"I think it's a huge mistake," Sue Kaminski said.
"It's a green area and it needs to stay a green area," Joe Mitchell said.
Dearborn Heights' mayor and City Council president said it's clear that residents have spoken. Now, they want the county to listen.
"Hopefully there won't be eight votes for this to pass," Mayor Dan Paletko said, referencing the Wayne County Commission, which would vote on whether to sell.
The Commission hasn't seen an analysis of the project yet.
"I've been living in the city for 50 years, and this is a jewel of the city," City Councilwoman Marge Horvath said.