Quote:
Originally Posted by Mull
Now, it would be good if someone could give us an accurate baseline on what actually occurs. My understanding is the City values the land as a golf course, and not as undeveloped land in a similar area would be worth.
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To play devil's advocate here, all property taxes are based on what is actually on the land, not what could be there if the land was "optimized". You could make the same argument about residential property. Wouldn't it better optimized if your house was replaced by a tower that could house many people?
For the record, I'm not a golfer. Calgary needs those courses to attract the corporations it wants to though. You do have to look at the bigger picture and account for the revenue that all brings in.
I do find the amount of golf courses in Calgary excessive though, but Calgary would probably just replace that land with more urban sprawl, if given the opportunity. I also wouldn't describe Calgary as having a shortage of green/park space. That's one thing, for a city of 1.5 million, that Calgary has in excess. Also, many of the golf courses in Calgary don't just cater to the rich. There are multiple courses where you can get a round for $50 or less and on a good course, which is pretty incredible when compared to most cities.