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Melissa Suarez asked about the proposals for West Ten and Twin Creeks and the <br />development and Laura Blackmon said that the development is under Orange County's control <br />and adjacent to the OCS site and the grading of the two sites was done at the same time. Twin <br />Creeks is a more complicated project with Elementary School #10. It has been master planned <br />and includes a lot of other things besides soccer fields, even though the soccer fields are in the <br />first phase. There is still not an access road, and this has to go through Carrboro's process. <br />Lori Taft then went through Attachment A, Soccer Field Development Schedule <br />Comparison. She pointed out that the process with West Ten can go really fast because it is <br />already pre-graded. Regarding West Ten, the bids will be advertised next week and the <br />construction document could be considered by the Board in May. The fields could be done by <br />August. The other amenities (walking track, restrooms, fencing, and lighting} would not be <br />completed until 2008. The complex could be opened by the end of the summer in 2008. <br />Cameron Tew asked about the percentage of time that fields will be available to be <br />played on. Lori Taft said that any given field should be shut down during a period of time to be <br />determined in the winter; for several weeks in the summer when it is off season for soccer; and <br />ideally two days a week. She said that every field could be open on Saturdays and Sundays; <br />four fields could be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays; and three fields on Mondays <br />and Fridays. With the lights, the fields could be open from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekends <br />and after school until 10:00 p.m. on weekdays. She said that these are her initial thoughts and <br />she is willing to work with everyone on fine-tuning this. <br />Pete Sadin asked about artificial turf and Lori Taft said that it is expensive at $650,x00 <br />extra per field. She would look at it as something down the road, and maybe with the <br />public/private partnerships coming on they could look at this. <br />Cameron Tew suggested reducing the number of fields and then turfing them. He said <br />that the needs they have as an organization are that there are not enough fields open <br />throughout the year to play soccer on. He said that turf is a way to avoid disrepair. <br />Mike Strand said that it would appear that the intent of this meeting is to educate and get <br />feedback, but it sounds like the decision has been made to push forward with West Ten with the <br />money, and everything else is on hold. He said that the Southern Village project has been put <br />on hold a couple of times. He said that he heard that the grant money for the lights was lost <br />because the timetable was missed. Lori Taft said that she did not hear this. The grant was for <br />the overall project, and she has not heard about it being lost. <br />Mike Strand said that at the last few meetings, some people brought up that there should <br />be flexibility for the Board to address some fields at West Ten and other fields at Southern Park. <br />He said that in Chapel Hill the fields are not open half the year, and they were constructed <br />poorly in the first place. He said that there is no help coming for the Chapel Hill and Carrboro <br />area in the foreseeable future. He suggested turfing a couple of the fields at West Ten and <br />giving up two fields far the cost. He said that it is great to get background information, but he <br />was hoping that the Board would change the plan. <br />Chair Carey said that the purpose of this meeting was informational and was not to <br />revisit the County Commissioners' decision. <br />Deanna Venable said that she was present to speak to the need of having places to play <br />soccer in the northern part of Orange County because it seems like everything so far is <br />concentrated in the southern part. She said that she does not play soccer, but she has two <br />small children and she has to drive to Chapel Hill twice on Saturdays for both of her children to <br />play soccer. She said that it sounds like the West Ten Soccer Complex is going forward <br />because it can. Regarding Twin Creeks, there are many things standing in the way, and it is <br />further out because of approval processes. Regarding Southern Park, she said that there are <br />problems there and it could not go any faster because there are things in the way. <br />