Commission sends facility plan to the board

By JIM LAWRENCE
For the Stafford County Sun
Published: June 27, 2008

STAFFORD — The Stafford County Parks and Recreation Commission discussed the facility plan and how it relates to the bond issue being crafted by the county at a June 19 meeting.

The facility plan takes into account available facilities and projected needs for parks and recreation. The bond issue is the vehicle in which money will be collected to pay for them.

In the plan, sport complexes are the preferred path. Five baseball fields are presently available, the number of which is “woefully inadequate,” according to Robert Dreistadt, of Stafford Baseball League.

The preferred future would be to build complexes of five fields in one location. Given transportation needs of residents, this would be somewhat of a relief to them, also.

Sites for new ball fields are proposed at the Chichester site near Stafford High School and the Musselman site, located across from Enon Community Center.

One commissioner inquired of just how much flexibility there is between the proposal and how it was realized.

Stafford County Supervisor Cord Sterling, R-Rock Hill, stressed specificity, as did Aquia School Board member John LeDoux.

The bond issue proposal has not been completed yet, but initially the county is looking to ask for $30 million in bonds for parks and recreation, and $70 million for transportation.

The commission voted unanimously to proceed to the board with its present plan.

Parks and recreation Chairman Chris Hoppe stated that procedures for security checks have changed.

Whereas they were conducted by each department, the county now completes them for all of them.

Dreistadt updated the commission on the status of The Stafford Baseball League, and Richard “Reb” Benson updated the commission on the Stafford Area Soccer Association (SASA).

The next commission meeting will take place at the Rowser Center on July 17 at 7 p.m.

Jim Lawrence is a contributing writer at the Stafford County Sun. Reach him at .