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As county officials rush to save Sligo Creek Golf Course before its scheduled Oct. 1 closing date, tonight's community meeting to discuss the course's future has been postponed.

County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) requested earlier this summer that the County Council appropriate $150,000 to keep the course open for one to two more years as a long-term solution is determined. The owner of the land, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, decided to wait until those discussions were resolved before reviewing non-golf uses at Sligo Creek.

The Parks Department is considering a nature preserve or a recreational park and, if golf is not continued at Sligo Creek, should decide on a future use by the spring.

"There are a lot of discussions happening now between the County Executive and the County Council and the [current operator of Sligo Creek, the Montgomery County] Revenue Authority," said Brooke Farquhar, supervisor of park and trail planning for the Parks Department. "It's a little too early given that those discussions are happening right now and the council is coming back soon."

The council will return from its recess Tuesday and the council's Planning, Housing and Economic Development committee has scheduled a work session to discuss Leggett's proposal Sept. 24. That same day, Parks is tentatively scheduled for a roundtable discussion with the Planning Board to determine what uses will be allowed on the course after it closes Oct. 1.

An independent study earlier this year ruled the course was a financial drain on the county golf system, allowing the Revenue Authority to back out of its lease to operate the course. In a letter sent to Sligo Golf advocates this week, Councilwoman Valerie Ervin said that could be avoided if the council approves Leggett's appropriation prior to the Oct. 1 closing date.

In a letter drafted in August, Ervin (D-Dist. 5) and Nancy Navarro (D-Dist. 4), both of Silver Spring; George L. Leventhal (D-At large) and Marc Elrich (D-At large), both of Takoma Park; and Nancy Floreen (D-At large) of Garrett Park, said they want to keep the course open but would like to hear more alternatives to spending taxpayers dollars to do so.

"At this juncture, it does not seem to us that any alternative is preferable, nor more cost-effective, than the continued availability of golf," the letter said.

Farquhar said Parks is tentatively scheduled to review alternatives for the course Nov. 5 with the Planning Board, if the council has not yet made a decision on the appropriation at that point.

Some non-golfers in the Sligo Creek area wish the other alternatives for the land received as much attention as golf.

Silver Spring resident Heather Phipps favors the nature preserve and is trying to enlist the Neighbors of Northwest Branch, an organization that advocates for preservation of the Northwest Branch watershed, to help match the strong public support of keeping golf at Sligo Creek.

"It is the most environmentally sustainable and fiscally responsible option for the site," she wrote of the nature preserve in a letter to M-NCPPC staff.

ESSCA withdraws from umbrella civic group

The East Silver Spring Citizens Association has withdrawn from the President's Council of Silver Spring, or Prezco, an umbrella group now containing 11 civic associations in Silver Spring.

Prezco was developed 12 years ago to bring the various neighborhood associations in Silver Spring together to plan events, initiatives and to take a unified stance on larger issues managed by state and county officials. Recently, Prezco developed a plan for County Executive Isiah Leggett's pedestrian safety initiative and planned the Safe Silver Spring Summit in May, said Tony Hausner, the Prezco representative for the Indian Springs neighborhood.

Hausner said ESSCA didn't reveal to Prezco why they withdrew from Prezco. He did acknowledge that ESSCA had diverged from many other neighborhood groups' stance on the Purple Line and proposed ambulance fees that would charge residents' insurance companies for emergency calls.

"There was enough division amongst us that we didn't take a position on the Purple Line," Hausner said. "We were better off agreeing to disagree."

Bob Colvin, president of ESSCA, said "we didn't think we were contributing that much," and "we could better utilize our time" but would not discuss ESSCA's withdrawal further. The matter will be discussed at ESSCA's next neighborhood meeting, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Sligo Urban Recreation Center at 500 Sligo Ave. in Silver Spring.