Ames may be getting a new golf course, and some community members are concerned about the swiftness of the decision.The state Board of Regents approved a 30-year lease of 46 acres of ISU land during their meeting last week. The land, located north of South 16th Street and east of Elwood Drive and Jack Trice Stadium, has been leased to Walter/Randall Associates in Ames for use as a public golf course. The land is adjacent to 148 acres of land owned by the partnership.At the meeting, regents were asked to postpone their decision to hear community concerns, but decided not to because they were only approving the lease and not promoting the golf course.”The regents are not in the planning and zoning process for the Ames community,” said Warren Madden, vice president for Business and Finance. “They made it clear they don’t want to be holding hearings about whether this is a good or bad thing.” Madden said the appropriate place for members of the ISU and Ames communities to voice concerns is during the planning and zoning process. The proposal has not yet been brought before the city.Steve Goltry, member of Ames Vision 2020, said one of the group’s main concerns was that it was not informed about the proposal until last week. “We were not included or made aware that there was any activity going on for any action for a golf course,” he said. However, Matt Randall of Walter/Randall Associates said there has been no effort to hide the company’s efforts to develop a golf course. “There was no reason for us to announce the course if we were unable to lease this land from Iowa State,” he said. “The golf course would not have been built because it would not have had enough ground.”Madden said the land is a flood plain which is primarily either undeveloped or farmed. “We believe that a project like this will enhance the entryway into campus along S. 16th St.,” he said.There also appears to be a demand for more recreational activities for the community, Madden said, and the golf course would assist in recruiting faculty, staff and students.”We didn’t see a down side to this,” he said “[Walter/Randall Associates] are assuming all of the risk and liability for the project.”Prior to the golf course proposal, Goltry said “The Ames Townscape Plan,” prepared by Sasaki and Associates Inc. of Dallas, Texas, showed plans from August 1990 for a central park on the ISU land.The plan would also have included a continuation of Grand Avenue as a tree-lined “parkway boulevard” that would be “a sweeping or curvilinear alignment” south to 4th Street and from 4th Street to 16th Street, he said.However, Goltry said the city has not moved forward with this plan.”For some reason, it’s been forgotten,” he said. Randall said Walter/Randall Associates is going to incorporate parts of the central park into the golf-course plans. Madden said the golf-course plan also includes extending Grand Avenue to 16th Street, although the alignment may be different. Madden said if the city decided it wanted a park, it would still be a possibility.”Certainly from the university point of view, if someone came along and wanted to use this as a park, that would be an alternative use,” he said.Randall said the partnership is attempting to work with the community.”We’re trying to work with folks here and create a positive environment in the central part of Ames and turn a farm ground into a lush, green park,” he said.