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Councilors pitched complex idea |
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Tuesday, 15 April 2008 |
By MIKE BURKHOLDER
Managing Editor
ST. MARYS — Several dozen supporters of two youth sports programs packed the chambers of the St. Marys City Council Monday night to pitch an idea for a new sports complex on city-owned land.
Representatives from the St. Marys Soccer Club and St. Marys Midget Football approached councilors with a proposal to turn 60 acres of land south of the former landfill and along Markley Road into a complex with soccer and practice football fields. Soccer club representative Bill Grothause told councilors the complex would benefit hundreds of families in the city.
“Between the two organizations, there are 650 kids and their families that will benefit,” Grothause said. “It also would benefit the teams we play against.”
Grothause cited safety concerns at current facilities as one of the driving forces behind the push for the complex. Having a centralized location also would make staging tournaments and games easier given the ample parking available under the proposal.
“As the numbers grow, our concerns of parking and safety have grown,” Grothause said. “We just feel our youth deserve a controlled complex.”
Grothause said volunteers from each group would maintain the fields as well as clean up following events. Midget football coach Al Solomon said councilors should keep the safety of the children in mind when they make a decision on the complex.
“This is a major combined effort,” Solomon said. “I see a lot of concern for the kids and its going to give them something constructive to do.”
Council president Dan Hoelscher thanked the group for bringing the proposal to the meeting. However Hoelscher said a decision on what to do with the land could take a while.
“A project of this size, we have to look at the reality,” Hoelscher said. “We have been on hold with that (land) due to the lawsuit. What I suggest is we throw it to the Streets and Sidewalks Committee. We’ll take public input during the meetings.”
City recently won a lawsuit over the county in the Ohio Supreme Court with regard to the former landfill that dealt with costs associated with monitoring the area. With the lawsuit cleared away, Hoelscher said councilors must now decide what to do with the land.
“It’s going to take more than one meeting to get this out,” Hoelscher said. “I appreciate the amount of time you put in.”
Councilors approved sending the matter to committee by a 7-0 vote. It will be up to committee members to decide whether or not to forward a recommendation back to councilors in the future.
The Streets and Sidewalks Committee is tentatively scheduled to meet May 5. A time should be set during the next council meeting April 28.
Safety-Service Director Tom Hitchcock said councilors should discuss the options available for the land. The safety-service director said the lawsuit with the county on the landfill was a “huge snag” in terms of developing a plan for the land.
“We’ve been planning on discussing what the future of that land is,” Hitchcock said. “We do need some direction on what to do with that. This is going to take some time.”
The St. Marys Electric and Finance committees are scheduled to meet at 5:15 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. Monday in the city building.
The next meeting of the St. Marys City Council is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 28 at the city building located along East Spring Street. |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 20 April 2008 )
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