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Sports complex not endorsed by committee
A proposal to build a large sports complex featuring outdoor and indoor athletic fields along Belmont Ridge Road in Ashburn is struggling to gain a majority of support on the Board of Supervisors.On July 28, a four-member board committee decided to send the proposal by Play to Win LLC to the full board without a recommendation for approval or denial.
The key concern some supervisors have is that the complex is too large. At 40 acres, the site would have six outdoor playing fields – four synthetic – and three more inside a 225,000-square-foot building south of Route 7. The facility also would house athletic courts, classrooms and a restaurant. Additional space would contain offices and an aquatic center.
So far, only Chairman Scott York (I-at large) and supervisors Lori Waters (R-Broad Run) and Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling) have publicly voiced support for the project in its current form.
Others, including Supervisor Kelly Burk (D-Leesburg) -- chairwoman of the Transportation and Land Use Committee, which discussed the proposal Monday night -- are worried that an influx of additional cars accessing the complex would further clog narrow Belmont Ridge Road, which is slated to be widened someday.
"How is it going to handle 800 more cars?" Burk asked, citing traffic estimates. "That is a big concern for me."
Field lights, game noise and sediment runoff into nearby Goose Creek are more issues the applicant and supervisors are now hashing out.
"We've put more standards on our fields than the county has," said Play to Win spokesman Charlie Jackson. "And we'll continue to work with the county on any concerns that supervisors, like Burk, might have."
The full board is expected to vote on the proposal in September.
Contact the reporter at jjacks@timespapers.com
What's funny about this article is the paragraph that says flood lights, game noise and sediment runoff are all issues the two sides are working out. Acutally, if one reads the staff report it's clear those issues have been resolved.
Speaking of the staff report, I wonder if Kelly Burk has read it. More car trips? Sure, but those will come with or without this application. I'm starting to wonder if Burk is interested in doing the best thing for the county here (fields we need, tax revenue we need), or if she's just kow-towing to the PEC.
Posted by soothsayer
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Too large? Not by a mile. With the sorry lack of ballfields now, plus all the homes still to be built in the pipeline, this complex will be too SMALL by the time it is complete! The lights and the noise are not something that goes on late at night, and the traffic is bad no matter what. This is an excellent idea for families and it is sorely needed in this county.
Posted by Waya
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