Elected officials won't be leasing up to 400 acres of parklandto Gagne Development Co. Inc. for a hotel-golf course project onthe state capital's east side. The final count had 98,976 residentsagainst the measure and 96,987 for it, with the opposition campcapturing just 49% of the polling.

In a city with a view tax, voters held firm to their greenspacedespite the allure of a ground lease alone that carried $1 milliona year for city coffers. The development would have beenconstructed along the northeast side of Lake Walter E. Long. Theplan had been to build a 250-room hotel that could have beenexpanded to 350 rooms, a 65,000-sf conference center and two18-hole public golf courses. It also had called for a 224-seatrestaurant, 90-seat lounge, health club, tennis courts, clubhouseand pro shop, driving range and putting green. An estimated 300 to400 new jobs would have been created by the project.

Under the proposed lease, the city would have continued to ownand control the land and improvements. The property is situated ina preferred growth corridor and near a planned north-south bypassconnecting to Interstate 35, the region's primary artery linkingthe Mexican border to Canada.