Donald Trump vs the city of Rancho Palos Verdes
Posted on 08. Feb, 2010 by Dana Nichols in Courses, Financial, Private, Real Estate
In California at the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes it can cost a couple $150,000 to get married.
But for a fraction of the cost city residents can enjoy similar oceanfront views while saying their “I dos” at a small city park a chip shot away from Trump’s golf course for $585. ($915 for nonresidents)
Trump manages Founders Park rentals for the city and says he either wants out of the discount wedding business or, raise the price for a three-hour ceremony in the city park to $2,670 for residents and $3,000 for nonresidents. $2,250 of that would go to the golf course.
Trump’s general manager, David Conforti, informed the city in a letter that the golf course is losing money on the current deal. Conforti stated that because people say they are getting married at “the Trump,” guests assume they have the same use of the facilities as the $300-a-round golfers and those paying full fare to get married at “the Trump.”
In the letter Conforti explained that wedding guests take over locker rooms, wander around the golf course, annoy people by taking group photos and get rowdy. Conforti added, [bridal parties] “naturally expect to be able to use the facility with little regard to other guests.”
Tom Odom, the city’s interim director of recreation and parks, said it might be time for Founders Park to divorce itself from the wedding business.
For the past three years Trump has been managing the park rentals, but the contract expired in December. Odom’s recommendation was pulled off the City Council agenda this week so staff members could negotiate with the golf club, Mayor Steve Wolowicz said.
It is reported that Donald Trump’s relationship with Rancho Palos Verdes has been a rocky one almost from the beginning.
Trump wanted the city to rename Ocean Trails Drive to Trump National Drive and sued the school district over the lease on land it owned in the golf course and illegally planted ficus trees to block from view homes he deemed unsightly.
A 70-foot flagpole was erected flying a nearly 400-square-foot flag that put Trump in a fued with the California Coastal Commission. Most recently, he sued the city for $100 million, accusing it of fraud and civil rights violations.
“His persona is not a public secret,” the mayor said. “That manner has continued in his relationship with our community. He is a very forceful person, and when something doesn’t agree with him, he doesn’t hesitate to file a lawsuit, and he is contentious.”
Wolowicz said many of Conforti’s complaints about the city park weddings seem reasonable. “We need to address what is fair to everybody concerned,” he said.
In an e-mail statement from Conforti he said, “I’ve had very constructive dialogue with the city staff and we are moving ahead together toward establishing a plan for the future of weddings in the park.”
Shared at
One Response to “Donald Trump vs the city of Rancho Palos Verdes”