Jeanna Duerscherl | The Roanoke Times

Councilwoman Gwen Mason looks at Councilman Sherman Lea during a meeting to discuss the Countryside Golf Club Monday.

The Roanoke City Council agreed 6-1 this afternoon on a new policy statement to keep Countryside Golf Club as a golf course, rather than potentially seeking to develop all or a portion of the Northwest Roanoke property in the future.

Meanwhile, the council voted 6-1 this evening to expand the ongoing study of a commercial amphitheater to include an assessment of building it at Elmwood Park.

Nearly three years after buying the golf course with $4.1 million in taxpayer money, the council majority directed City Manager Darlene Burcham to issue a request for proposals to manage the golf course for 10 years or more, and make capital improvements of $1.1 million to improve the irrigation system and cart paths.

Councilwoman Gwen Mason was the lone dissenter. She had wanted more information on the cost of the council’s commitment to the course before voting for it.

The amphitheater matter took up much of the rest of the afternoon council session. The city government in April announced a contract of up to $120,000 with Red Light Management of Charlottesville to study the feasibility of building an amphitheater along the Roanoke River near the site of the former Victory Stadium. That study is due soon.

Mayor David Bowers, who campaigned against the riverside site during his spring election campaign, lost a last-ditch attempt this evening to altogether rule out the river location.

The council's new resolution, pushed by Councilman Dave Trinkle, empowers the city manager and attorney to negotiate with Red Light to include Elmwood Park in their study. If that doesn't work out, the resolution authorizes the manager to use the state's public-private partnership law to seek another company to conduct the study.