The Philadelphia Art Commission has voted 9-0 to deny concept approval for two key parts of a Cobbs Creek Golf Course $65 million renovation, writes Frank Kummer for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Philadelphia-owned golf course property covers Philadelphia a piece of Upper Darby Township.

The Cobbs Creek Foundation is raising money for the renovations and operations of the golf course. It has agreed to pay Philadelphia $1 a year for its lease of the 105-year-old public course.

Commission members took issue with some aspects of the renovations, including the clear-cutting of 100 acres of mature trees that raised the wrath of local residents.

Commissioners also pointed to a lack of Department of Environmental Protection permits and no plan to restore the trees after a large, multitiered driving range, youth driving range, and youth golf center are built.

“Whether these projects will contribute, or not, to the betterment of the property is not clear to us,” said Jose Alminana, a member of the commission and a landscape architect.

The Art Commission reviews designs for the city to make sure they are aesthetic and appropriate.

Cobbs Creek was closed in 2020 for structural and safety concerns.

Read more at The Philadelphia Inquirer about the art commission decision on the Cobbs Creek Golf Course.