By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
The Board of County Commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday to approve a plan that would provide $2.267 million toward the development of soccer fields at the West Ten soccer complex in Efland.
Nearly 40 residents from the southern part of the county showed support for the development of four full-size fields at the Twin Creeks park in Carrboro prior to the construction of the West Ten project, citing higher population density and demand for soccer fields in the southern part of the county.
By contrast, northern county residents spoke in favor of the West Ten complex because of the lack of fields in the northern part of the county.
The funding for the soccer fields is part of an alternative financing plan through which the county will borrow $50 million to fund various school and county capital projects.
Commissioners Alice Gordon and Mike Nelson voted against the funding plan and spoke in favor of developing a plan that would maximize the number of soccer fields in the county, with fields constructed at both locations.
Several southern county residents suggested building fewer fields at West Ten in order to build fields at Twin Creeks.
Chapel Hill resident and soccer dad Gary Wallach said he thought soccer players and coaches would not go to West Ten to play because of its distance from the southern part of the county.
“My concern is if you build it, we won’t come,†he said. In addition, “You could be kinder to our environment by making us all drive a lot less.â€
Youth soccer player Laura Sullivan said her soccer team has struggled because of the lack of fields in the southern part of the county.
“Sometimes we have to have five soccer teams on one baseball outfield and it gets too crowded,†she said. “Sometimes we have to cancel our practice just because we don’t have enough space.â€
The Twin Creeks park is planned at the site of the new elementary school on the corner of Dromoland Road and Eubanks Road in Carrboro. The West Ten complex would be located in Efland, near Gravelly Hill Middle School.
“Regardless of the density, it’s important to the people in Hillsborough and the northern part of the county to have facilities,†said Hillsborough resident Keith Bagby, who has a daughter who plays soccer.
Brian Oswald, head soccer coach at Cedar Ridge High School, said he has seen a high demand for soccer fields near Hillsborough.
“I can guarantee you that if you build the fields, the people will go to the West Ten complex and play,†he said, adding that with the West Ten complex soccer fields would be “more fairly distributed and more easily accessible to all†county residents.
Commissioner Barry Jacobs suggested resurfacing the soccer field at Smith Middle School, in the southern part of the county, with artificial turf in order to improve it.
In addition, he recommended that the board use potential partnerships at the West Ten project to find savings that could be redirected toward other fields in the county.
“I think a false dichotomy has been articulated,†he said. “One of the things that’s been missing from this discussion … is that the county is working with Chapel Hill to build three full-sized fields … in Chapel Hill.â€
“We can put whatever money we want in Twin Creeks and it still has to go through the Carrboro planning process, which takes a year,†he said. “Were we to switch moneys away from West Ten and not complete what we were doing, we would have accomplished even less.â€
Nelson said he opposed the funding because he wanted to see a plan that would include fields at Twin Creeks as well.
“The problem that I have with [the plan] is a lack of concreteness,†he said. “There really isn’t any definite and concrete plan†to fund the construction of fields at Twin Creeks.
“We need a little bit more time to find a win-win situation,†Gordon said.
“We ought to take the $2.267 million and just think a little bit more about it,†she continued.
Gordon suggested limiting the complex at West Ten to just soccer fields – without bleachers or concessions stands – in order to find savings that could be used toward fields at Twin Creeks.
In other county business, the commissioners approved the 2007 EMS coverage contract for the Orange County Speedway north of Hillsborough.