A request to rezone the Pleasant Hill Golf Course to the newly approved Dunstan Village Residential Zoning District from its present R2 zone has been withdrawn following a meeting with the Town Council last week.

James Vear, who is acting on behalf of the property owner Shirley McLaughlin, withdrew the request after he told the council he is not sure what the property should be zoned.

Some of the concerns he had regarding the new Dunstan Village zone included the required mixed housing development, while he is proposing building two-unit condominium buildings with a total of 48 to 60 units. Vear thought suggested an R3 zone might be better.

Councilors told Vear in order to request a zone change he had to know what zone he wanted. They also were concerned about changing the zone while the Comprehensive Plan Update Committee is nearing its conclusion, and may update the property’s zone.

Some councilors said a contract zone might be the best approach while others said that the Ordinance Committee could look into developing an overlay district that would allow denser development in R2 districts to preserve open space.

Vear told the council that the cost of operating the nine-hole golf course is becoming expensive and the family is now considering developing the 50-acre parcel, which is wedged between Chamberlain Road and Highland Avenue.

However, rather than developing the property using traditional subdivision methods the owner would like to develop the southern end of the property and leave the northern end empty for the “foreseeable future.” Vear suggested the property could be used for a couple of practice golf holes, disc golf or just kept as open space.

However, Vear indicated that there is a possibility that the property could be developed in the future, which councilors did not like, saying the purpose for allowing denser development on the southern end was to preserve the northern end.