Some people who live in the Southmont community where this sportsplex will be developed say the harmony they once had in that area, is now gone and they had little to no say about it.
DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. —
Some Davidson County residents are upset about the future development of a sportsplex.
It's projected to be built in the Southmont community, just outside of Lexington.
What started off as a public hearing Monday evening to discuss rezoning some acres from residential to community recreational, turned into an outcry of concerns from the community. The concerns range from traffic congestion to fears that the infrastructure cannot withstand a project of this capacity.
some people who live in the Southmont community say the harmony they once had in that area, is now gone...and they had little to no say about it.
"You're just going to take 350 acres of land and put whatever you feel like there," one resident stated.
The project is set to be built on a wooded area near Southmont Elementary School. consisting of amenities including 10 soccer fields, a 5-acre waterpark and eight baseball fields.
Some business owners and residents who live in the impacted community say this sportsplex would lead to more traffic concerns in an area with already limited mobility.
"Even more alarming are the roads selected for entrances and exits. Two of them run directly through a private neighborhood, my neighborhood." one resident said.
"The other roads that lead up to it are windy and curvy," another concerned resident shared. "You're going to have all kinds of accidents; you're going to have people being injured in those accidents. God forbid there could even be some fatalities."
People also feel they were given little to no notice that the project was happening.
During the public hearing, commissioners and planning director Lee Crook tried to ease concerns surrounding the rezoning to build the sportsplex, and about the project.
"There will never be an instance when we've got 4500 people leaving at one time," Crook said.
It's important to note that although this rezoning request was denied, rezoning some acres from residential to commercial recreational. This project is still expected to move forward.
This 65-million-dollar project is set to be fully complete in 2028.