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Sunday em Janua7y 13, 2002 . Also covering Hillsborough, Carrboro , Orange County & northern Chatham County �� door swimming pool. Fax number: 9181055 Architects turned in a design FROM PAGE 1 that concentrates much of the pro- posed construction in an area close $110 to the Southern Village park-and- the Orange County Commission- ride lot and along U.S. 15-501* ers have acquired separate park The plan is intended to give Dog- sites north of Carrboro off wood Acres — an established Eubanks Road and along New neighborhood that, unlike South- , The third field wouldn't get built Hope Church Road near Interstate ern Village, was in place long as part of an opening round of con- 40* before the town acquired the park anel struction on the 70-acre site that The county also controls a $2 site — a significant amount of would cost an estimated $3.6 mil- million "soccer superfund," shielding, Hon. thanks to a November bond issue, The committee's pruning allows Committee members pruned the that officials have said could officials to say the plan would pre- r ' s third field as a concession to home- finance construction of between serve between 60 percent and 70 owners in nearby Dogwood Acres 15 and 20 fields somewhere in the percent of the site as open space, and Southern Village who wanted county. "Many people equate parks to much of the property left undevel- Chapel Hill planners figure lighted, irrigated and organized oped, the county will concentrate athletic fields, but there is I think ans "We would be fairly open to crib many of them on one of the a real need for ' parks' in our park cism if we did not respond in any recently acquired park sites and system ," Madry said. "There has i way to what we are hearing," said concede that their own planning been a good attempt at balancing Scott Madry, a committee member is proceeding on that assump- the needs of organized athletics for ar who lives a mile or so away from the tion. with the desire for natural park site on Morgan Creek Road. "If they follow through and build areas. " But the committee's move is cer- them in a timely manner, I don't Council members are unlikely to tain to force the Town Council to think we really need to build those spend much time poring over the $outhe7`n Community grapple with two weighty issues, [extra] fields at Southern," said plan Monday night, as the only Park has only 2,feell-sized including one that concerns a mat- Bill Webster, the administrative thing administrators are asking ter of political trust. analyst for Chapel Hill's parks them to do is send it to six adviso- soCCer fle16 in blueprint Both rise out of the claim — department. "But it's an if. If they ry boards for review and com- voiced originally by Councilman don't, then I think we're going to ment. in a Concesszon to C7"itics Bill Strom — that fiscal and other be in trouble." But even members with close pressures often lead the town to Webster added that there's ties to county officials agree that By RAY GRONBERG "underbuild" new facilities like more demand for soccer fields the question of whether two fields gronberg0herald-sun.com; 9184032 parks, to the point of shortchanging than the town could accommo- are enough — and whether the the community's long-term needs. date, even if the initial interest town can rely on the county to CHAPEL HILL — Planners have Southern Community Park and its m placing three or four at South- make up the difference if they scaled back the number of soccer soccer fields could test that asser- ern Community Park had sur- aren 't — is likely to figure heavily fields they suggest building at what tion because officials assumed vived the planning committee's in a debate set to last into the most agree is likely to become going into the year-and-a-half plan- debate. spring. Chapel Hill's last big park. nmg effort that they might need to Even without a third soccer "That's a great question that Southern Community Park would build up to four fields there to field, Southern Community Park none of us can answer until we contain two full-size soccer fields if accommodate future demand. would not lack for facilities. have a better sense of what the the Town Council ends up adopting a They and committee members The committee's plan calls for a commissioners are going to be proposal from the citizens commit- believed they were able to scale first phase of construction that doing with their active recreation tee it appointed to draft an initial back that number because Orange also would include a youth base- planning and budget," Strom said blueprint for the facility. County's government has signaled a ball field, a dog park, a picnic shel- when asked whether the commit" An earlier draft of the Southern desire to get into the parks business ter, a flying disc golf course, a tee's draft risks another case of Park plan called for three fields, but in a big way. roller hockey court and a basket- underbuilding. "It would be irre- the only remnant of that idea which Two big land buys approved by ball court. sponsible for us to. make firm will reach the council Monday night ® It also reserves space — but not decisions until we are comfort" calls for reserving space for a third please see PARK/PAGE 7 money — for a community center able that we understand the larger field suitable only for practice or that perhaps would include an out- picture. " youth league play. "We would be fairly o pen, to c��iticisrn if zee did not respond in any way to what we are hearing. " Scott Madry member, citizens committee