AGENDA REQUEST

Sponsor:

Board of Supervisors Meeting Date: 

Ray Graham, Chairman, Cedar Run District

March 18, 2002

Staff Lead:

Department: 

Larry Miller, Parks and Recreation Director

Parks and Recreation

Topic: 

Receive recommendation from Parks and Recreation Board to authorize the County Administrator to acquire a portion of the J. Paul Wampler, Bridgewater College, Priscilla W. Wampler, and Mabel Lou Weiss property for the Southern Sports Complex.  This item was carried over from the February 19, 2002 and March 18, 2002 meetings.

Topic Description:

The Parks and Recreation Board is recommending the acquisition of a portion of the Wampler tract near Midland for the southern sports complex site.  The Chairman of the Board of Supervisors obtained a tentative agreement from Dr. Wampler on December 21, 2001.  The property recommended for acquisition is approximately one hundred twenty-eight acres.  A survey was received on February 7, 2002.  Early rough sketches showed a yield of approximately twenty fields (original sports complex plan expectation for a southern complex was twenty).  The acquisition, if approved, will be through a deed or friendly condemnation, and include removal of an existing clause regarding access to Germantown Lake for the remainder of the property and provision of an easement to the existing driveway from the new park entrance.   

The Parks and Recreation Board conducted a public comment period on this matter from January 16 through 31, 2002.  All adjacent landowners were notified of the comment period by letter.  Five responses were received from three citizens.  At the February meeting, the Parks and Recreation Board voted to recommend acquisition of the site by the Board of Supervisors.  Subsequent to acquisition, a more exhaustive study should be conducted of the historical aspects of the property to determine the scope of the area to be preserved.  Since this would complete the acquisition phase of this major initiative, recognition efforts should be considered for the many volunteers and County staff who have assisted since the project's initiation. 

Requested Action of the Board of Supervisors: 

In order to complete research requested by the Board, it is requested that this item be carried over to the May 20, 2002 meeting.

Financial Impacts Analysis:

Funding for acquisition will be within budgetary amounts set aside for this phase of the project.

Identify any other Departments, Organizations or Individuals that would be affected by this request:

Finance Department

County Attorney