While the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors negotiates with property owners for Burns Bottom land needed for a proposed soccer complex, city officials will work to find creative ways to help finance a $1.6 million master parks plan presented by the Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority.
In a joint meeting of the CLRA board of directors, the supervisors and Columbus City Council, CLRA Executive Director Roger Short Tuesday presented a $1.6 million plan for upgrading and improving neighborhood parks.
District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks recommended each involved community put together an advisory board to work with CLRA officials.
“You’ve got to have people living in the neighborhood with a sense of ‘this is mine,’” he explained, noting community involvement will lead to community pride and a desire to properly care for the new facilities. “And they will be responsible. A lot of time people that do not even live in the neighborhood will come in and (damage the facilities), because they’re not stakeholders.
“I would hope we would build centers that have a purpose and not just build a building with no programs,” he added, calling for structured community programs to be enjoyed in the new facilities. “We need to make sure, in the long run, we’ve got the community buying in and then I would hope we would allow the citizens of the community to have some input and give them structure.”
Board President and District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders said he is unwilling to commit funds to the community park improvements until plans for the Burns Bottom soccer complex are concrete.
The City Council earlier voted to donate 14.9 acres of city-owned property and provide water and sewage infrastructure already in place, as well as in-kind services; the soccer complex, which has been likened to a downtown park, is to be located on 70 acres in the Burns Bottom area.
Columbus-Lowndes Development Link officials and the supervisors have been negotiating with 15 landowners in a “core group” of property owners, whose property is key to locating the soccer complex in the area.
The holdup
All landowners, except one couple, have signed options on their property or agreed to donate property.
As proposed the soccer complex involves 31 landowners, but the group of landowners whose property is required for the complex to be built in Burns Bottom is much smaller.
Larry and Becki Vassar of Little Rock, Ark., are the lone holdout, asking for about $15,000 above the appraised value of their property, Sanders reported Tuesday. Sanders said the county only can pay the appraised value of property unless it issues a finding of special circumstances, which was not done with other property owners.
The Vassar property, which is about 15 acres and the largest parcel of property in Burns Bottom, was appraised at $79,000.
The total appraisal for the 70-acre Burns Bottom properties came to about $288,000.
Sanders also noted the Vassars support the idea of a soccer complex being located in Burns Bottom; Becki Propst Vassar’s family was instrumental in securing the land for Propst Park.
‘At an impasse’
“We’re at an impasse at Burns Bottom,” said Brooks, adding the city and county need to decide how to fund the neighborhood parks plan, set aside the needed money and “let (the CLRA) go with it.”
“A decision needs to be made,” he said. “There seems to be an impasse about what’s going to happen (in Burns Bottom). If we don’t move forward and go ahead, we’re going to be looking for another piece of property.
“Let these bodies decide about the money (for the parks improvements), then just give it to (the CLRA) and we stay out of it,” he added.
“I don’t want neighborhood parks to be contingent on what happens in Burns Bottom,” said Ward 5 Councilman Kabir Karriem. “This has to happen. I don’t think we should have a standstill.”
“I don’t see any reason for us to prolong this,” said Brooks, regarding neighborhood parks improvements. “We don’t need to have any more joint meetings or nothing.”
Dollars and cents
“I’m obviously for quality of life issues,” said Ward 3 Councilman Charlie Box, estimating the city’s share of the costs would be about $800,000 to $900,000. “I share some folks’ concerns about the financial aspect of it. The county’s got deep pockets; we don’t.”
“We need to know where we’re going to get this money from,” agreed Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens.
“I’m all for it,” said District 3 Supervisor John Holliman. “Everybody just needs to get finances together. Right now is a good time to build; you get cheaper prices.”
“I thought we already decided we were going to move forward on this,” District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith said of the parks plan. “We’ve talked these things to death and I’m tired of talking. Everybody came to this meeting today expecting some kind of decision to be made.”
“I feel like the two bodies (of government) is just like kinfolk,” Ward 4 Councilman Fred Stewart joked of the Board of Supervisors and City Council. “If we need some money, we can always ask our kinfolk.”
“Let’s not let one family stop the (soccer complex) deal,” Columbus Mayor Robert Smith said, noting city officials support both the Burns Bottom soccer complex and the neighborhood parks plan. “In the meantime, the mayor and City Council, we need to be creatively coming up with ways to find matching money for the neighborhood parks complex. The supervisors are to continue negotiating with the Vasser family until the next supervisors’ meeting, Nov. 13.
And the city is to work on developing a source of funding for the city’s share of the neighborhood parks plan costs.
While the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors negotiates with property owners for Burns Bottom land needed for a proposed soccer complex, city officials will work to find creative ways to help finance a $1.6 million master parks plan presented by the Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority.
In a joint meeting of the CLRA board of directors, the supervisors and Columbus City Council, CLRA Executive Director Roger Short Tuesday presented a $1.6 million plan for upgrading and improving neighborhood parks.
District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks recommended each involved community put together an advisory board to work with CLRA officials.
“You’ve got to have people living in the neighborhood with a sense of ‘this is mine,’” he explained, noting community involvement will lead to community pride and a desire to properly care for the new facilities. “And they will be responsible. A lot of time people that do not even live in the neighborhood will come in and (damage the facilities), because they’re not stakeholders.
“I would hope we would build centers that have a purpose and not just build a building with no programs,” he added, calling for structured community programs to be enjoyed in the new facilities. “We need to make sure, in the long run, we’ve got the community buying in and then I would hope we would allow the citizens of the community to have some input and give them structure.”
Board President and District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders said he is unwilling to commit funds to the community park improvements until plans for the Burns Bottom soccer complex are concrete.
The City Council earlier voted to donate 14.9 acres of city-owned property and provide water and sewage infrastructure already in place, as well as in-kind services; the soccer complex, which has been likened to a downtown park, is to be located on 70 acres in the Burns Bottom area.
Columbus-Lowndes Development Link officials and the supervisors have been negotiating with 15 landowners in a “core group” of property owners, whose property is key to locating the soccer complex in the area.
The holdup
All landowners, except one couple, have signed options on their property or agreed to donate property.
As proposed the soccer complex involves 31 landowners, but the group of landowners whose property is required for the c
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
