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Carrboro where the Smith Middle School will be built. Didow used a map to show the <br />western most area of this property which will be the portion of this property that the <br />school will lease from the University of North Carolina. They plan to site in this area a <br />softball field, a practice field and a set of tennis courts which will be used by Smith <br />Middle School. However, the Town of Carrboro and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of <br />Education have talked about expanding this project and making the facilities available to <br />the community. They would add a baseball field, two soccer fields and easy access for <br />riding trails. They could do this without adding a single foot of driveway or paved area <br />because the parking area for the school would be available for park use. They would <br />irrigate these fields and light them for evening use. They noted that for $450,000 they <br />could have a community park. Didow mentioned that while they have a request for land <br />in the northern Community Park which they will eventually need, this is something they <br />want to move ahead with at this time. This would be the largest sports complex in the <br />community. Spalt mentioned that Carrboro has some payment-in-lieu funds they will <br />contribute to the project. If they can get the other funds from the parks and recreation <br />bond, they could do the grading at the same time the school is built which will save a <br />substantial amount of money. Didow and Spalt indicated that this collaboration is a result <br />of the support they have received from the Schools and Land Use Council. They will let <br />the contracts for the school in early September. He asked that the County <br />Commissioners consider this project because of its multiple uses and incredible value to <br />the citizens of Orange County. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis told about a meeting he attended on value <br />engineering and he asked if they think they can achieve some savings by doing all the <br />site work at the same time. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that he supports cooperative efforts. He asked <br />and Allen Spalt responded that they have considered funding this from their millennium <br />bond they plan to put before the voters. <br />Commissioner Brown expressed interest in this project and asked about their <br />next steps. Spalt said that the University has given favorable approval for this plan. <br />Didow also mentioned that they have discussed this project with Chapel Hill officials. <br />Sheila White and Keith Edwards, representing JOCCA, spoke about the <br />nutrition center at Northside. White thanked the County Commissioners for the <br />renovations that were recently completed. She listed additional renovations that need to <br />be done. She described how this facility felt during the 1950's and said that the facility <br />has not improved since that time. The bathrooms were built for elementary children and <br />have not been retrofitted to accommodate adults. The heating system/air conditioning <br />unit needs to be replaced and the outside lighting needs to be improved. She feels that <br />all of these issues need to be addressed for the safety of the seniors who use this <br />facility. <br />Reverend Seymour mentioned that twenty-five children were killed or hurt <br />today in Denver by two gunmen. He feels we need more security in our schools. He <br />thanked the Board of County Commissioners for renewing the lease at the Galleria for <br />their senior center and said that he is pleased to see that the County Manager is <br />beginning to set aside money for a new southern senior center. The seniors are very <br />much pressed for space and have had to eliminate lunch on Monday because they do <br />not have the space to continue that program. They anticipate that the use of this facility