When I drive home on Capital Boulevard from a trip into town, my eyes always drift over to the old Cheviot Hills Golf Course, which has sat idle since June of 2006 after being sold to car salesmen. The property has always intrigued me for some reason. Especially the clubhouse, portions of which were built in the 1800s.
Well, now I can keep my eyes on the road because yesterday a backhoe demolished the building. The car dealership owners announced a plan last week to (surprise!) pave it over as a car lot. Apparently this may go against the city’s comprehensive plan, says the N&O.
Parked cars make quiet neighbors, at least when the dealership isn’t blasting pages from loudspeakers aimed across the lots. Still, the course’s rolling hills (it does have “hills” in the name, you know) make it difficult to see it working as a car lot, especially since the property has a tendency to flood.
This kind of disregard for an area’s history and character is one of the biggest peeves I have with Raleigh. Here its all about the land – screw any old house, building, or pasture that used to be there. I saw it with the Plantation Inn and it hasn’t slowed down a bit. Its the same with the current infill battles going on.
Raleigh is in danger of losing the very character that makes it Raleigh.