Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
A recent workshop that county officials held to decide what to accomplish with the $1 million contribution that NextEra has earmarked for recreational improvements was all over the place.
In the end, however, a semblance of clarity and direction ensued from the messy discussion on Thursday evening, Jan. 7.
The commission’s final instruction to Planning Official Shannon Metty, who has more or less been tasked to coordinate the various projects, was to move forward with the planned improvements at the Lamont and Thompson Valley parks and look into the possibility of having a feasibility study done on the main park on Mamie Scott Drive.
The discussion began with members of a committee appointed to help with the selection of playground equipment making recommendations on what they saw as the best types of equipment to purchase with the NextEra money in order to get the most bang for the buck in terms of usability and practicability, given the high cost of such equipment.
One committee member suggested conducting a survey among parents and kids to get feedback from those most affected as to what type of equipment they might prefer, to ensure for the equipment’s maximum use and popularity.
The conversation also touched on the hiring of a consultant to do a feasibility study and prepare a long-term plan for the Mamie Scott Drive Recreation Park to ensure for the best possible use of the property and NextEra’s money.
As Commissioner Betsy Barfield made the argument, no one on the board was truly qualified to know what was the best use of the park, now and into the future.
In the course of the discussion, FSU’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) came up as a potential candidate to do the consulting.
It’s worth noting here, however, that several years ago, the commission approved a $50,000 visioning study and community plan by the DURP, which effort largely duplicated the findings of an earlier visioning plan, and the results of which study the board never discussed, at least not publicly.
That said, a regional planning expert in the audience also suggested that the board might want to explore the installation of playground equipment that is designed as sound sculptures with perfect pitch that children can use to create music.
The discussion then focused on the community center that some want to see constructed as part of the improvements at the Mamie Scott Drive Recreation Park. The design plan presented to commissioners called for a 1,300 sq. foot building, complete with two interior basketball courts, a boxing ring and space for the office of the recreation department director.
Commissioners generally agree that the $1 million price tag on the multi-use facility was excessive, especially as part of NextEra’s $1 million contribution is supposed to go toward a new concession stand and upgraded outdoor lighting at the park.
Not to worry, commissioners were told. They were reminded of the millions more that would be coming in property taxes from NextEra once its electric high-voltage transmission line was constructed across the county – money that in part could conceivably go towards the improvements it was said.
Additionally, Metty told the officials, a separate grant was being sought to help supplement the energy company’s contribution.
Even so, some commissioners expressed concern about embracing such a high cost for the facility. They talked instead of the possibility of paring back the square footage as way of reducing the cost. Especially when the engineer informed them that any building with a square footage greater than 5,000 feet was required to install a fire protection sprinkler system, a costly addition
One idea proposed was to eliminate one of the two interior basketball courts and make the boxing ring portable. Another was to make the second basketball court an open-air one. The board instructed Metty to get prices on the different options.
Sheriff Mac McNeill encouraged the commissioners in their endeavors. Whatever it was that they ultimately decided to do, he said it was important that the board do something to provide a constructive outlet for the community’s youths. Otherwise, he said, the kids would find less constructive outlets of their own.
Commissioners are caught in a bind. On the one hand, they want to do something to show the community that they are making progress and the best use of the NextEra money to improve the county’s recreational opportunities. On the other, they don’t want to act too hastily and spend the money unwisely.
It’s a position that NextEra supports, to a point. Timothy Bryant, senior manager of external affairs for new development at NextEra, said his company was fine with the commission taking its time to make the right choices in the expenditure of the company’s contribution.
“But we would like to see something happen sooner rather than later,” he said.
Thus far, according to Metty, about $700,0000 remains uncommitted of NextEra’s promised $1 million contribution, with roughly $300,000 already committed toward the construction of the concession stand and the improvements at the Lamont and Thompson Valley parks.