DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — On Thursday, some Davidson County residents said they feel left out of the conversation about a massive new sportsplex planned.
That topic made its way back up to county commissioners at their meeting, with several people showing up to voice their concerns.
“They just trying to put all this right up on top of us. It’s messing up the little small town community,” said Dean Smith, a resident.
The 350-acre Davidson County Sportsplex Project would sit directly behind Southmont Elementary School, off NC HWY 8 and Owens Road.
Plans call for a 52,000 square-foot recreation and aquatics center, ten soccer fields, eight baseball fields, tennis and pickleball courts, a 5-acre water park, a camping area and thousands of parking spaces.
”Not totally against the sports complex, per se. It’s just where it’s located. It’s there. Locating this. The site is in the middle of a residential area with hundreds of homes around it. And it’s about a 20-minute drive to anything. There’s no hotels to get in to get to the interstate in about 20 minutes,” said Mike Lyda, resident.
Renderings were shown at the county commissioner’s meeting.
Many people showed up to voice their concerns.
“We brought them a petition today with over 700 signatures, and they won’t even consider scaling it back,” said Lyda.
“I’m just thoroughly disgusted. Once again, although the commissioners say that they are listening to the residents, they’re totally ignoring the fact that the ingress and egress into this mega complex is going to be from residential road,” said Margaret Marina, resident.
On the meeting’s agenda was a proposal to amend the Sportsplex RFQ to include an alternative concept for consideration.
Commissioner Matt Mizell requested that it be added for additional discussion on the Sportsplex.
He provided FOX8 with a statement following the meeting:
“This morning our Board held a robust and civil discussion on whether to add a scaled-down alternative for consideration alongside the original $65 million Sportsplex project. I drafted and presented conceptual guidelines for what such an alternative might look like, but the Board did not reach consensus to move it forward. I continue to stand by my vote from March against the original plan and the concerns I’ve expressed.
However, it’s important to remember that a difference of opinion does not equate to indifference of intention, and no plan will please everyone on this side of Heaven. I appreciate my fellow Commissioners for reviewing and responding to my proposal, and I especially thank all the citizens who came out to share their views, whether for or against, because their voices truly help shape the future of Davidson County.”
Later in the day, in the county’s facilities committee meeting, detailed designs of the plan were presented again
Despite that, residents remain unconvinced.
They said the project ignores pressing needs in the county, like schools and infrastructure.
“We don’t need a water park. We don’t need 1 million people, however many it’s going to bring in here. What we need is justice for the county of Davidson County.” Drema Kielty, resident:
There was no vote on the proposal to amend the Sportsplex RFQ to include an alternative concept for consideration. The plan remains the same.