By Angie Thompson/senior reporter
TIFTON
May 08, 2008 07:55 pm
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The director of the Tift County Recreation Department asked Tift County commissioners during their workshop session Tuesday night for a decision on whether or not the board plans to support the initiative to construct a skatepark in Tift County.
Craig Sowell presented several options for the board to consider and said that fundraising could begin in earnest if those supporting the initiative knew the board’s intentions.
Sowell said the county-owned land at the intersection of Victory Drive and West Second Street behind the existing ball fields would be suitable for the skate park. He said that the skatepark supporters would be more successful in their fundraising efforts “after land has been designated” and after the county commission let the public know its position.
“If this is not the decision of the county to continue to seek ways to help in the designation of land and funds to assist in this construction, the group would then have the facts to proceed with other options or regroup to see what needed to be done,” Sowell said.
Sowell said his staff was of the opinion that people in the county needed a place to skate, that the sports associated with a skatepark were healthy and such a facility would enhance the quality of life here. He said the enhancements and upgrades to recreation facilities would be a positive step.
Sowell said people have been asking about the possibility of a skate park since the ‘90s. He said that since there is no designated area for skateboarding, the entire community has, in essence, become a skatepark. He said that a professionally built park would also attract tourism as parents and students are driving out of town on weekends to skate at parks in other cities. He said some families plan their vacations to include areas with skatepark and Tifton could reap the benefits of tourism dollars spent here.
Sowell said funding for the construction of the park could be as much as $350,000. With the other recreation needs of the county, Sowell suggested that the county not commit to more than $125,000 for the project and that amount would have to be redirected from existing Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax income to “minimize any normal budgetary impact.”
Commissioner Robert Setters commented during Tuesday’s discussion that he appreciated the work Sowell had down and he “supported it 100 percent.” He said that Sowell was only asking for an appropriation from SPLOST for the structural elements of the park and that “if we don’t get it, we can’t spend it.”
During the Tuesday meeting, concerns about the county supporting the park centered on liability issues.
“All we are going to do is build a place, open the doors and leave it out there?” Commissioner Frankie Mathis asked. “I don’t think so.”
Tony Rowell, the county’s attorney, said that, according to law, the county would be immune from lawsuits if someone got hurt at the park if no admission to use the facilities is charged. Rowell said he didn’t believe the liability issue should be a component of the commission’s decision.
“The liability in this instance is a low-priority concern,” Rowell said.
Commissioner Donnie Hester said that two skateparks had existed before in the county and said “they didn’t last.” He also asked if the city planned to help support he project. The City Council indicated in May of last year that Tift County’s recreational activities were funded by the county. Sowell told commissioners Tuesday that he didn’t expect any funding assistance from the city.
The Tifton Skatepark Initiative began in the Spring of 2007. The group of skaters, bikers and adults have meet monthly at the TCRD and researched and planned how a skatepark facility could become a reality. A 501c3 tax-exempt account has been established through the Tift County Commission on Youth and Children that is accepting donations for the park. The initiative has conducted a few fundraisers and believes the donations would increase if the location of the proposed skatepark was finalized.
Bonnie Sayles, one of the people heading up the skate park initiative, said Thursday that if the county allocated the land for the park and the SPLOST funds for recreations improvements to help fund the project, the initiative could receive the $10,000 in funding from the General Assembly and the funds would come from the Department of Community Affairs.
Sayles attended Tuesday’s commission meeting.
“I was very grateful to the commissioners that they are moving ahead and making a decision,” Sayles said. “It has been one year exactly since we made our proposal to the commissioners and we have done what the commissioners told us to.”
Sayles said the group has raised approximately $2,000 on its own so far.
“We could raise more and ask for more, but we need to be able to tell people there is a location,” Sayles said. “We can apply to the Tony Hawk Foundation, but one of there requirements is to have a location and design in place and then they would consider a grant between $2,000 and $10,000.”
To contact senior reporter Angie Thompson, call 382-4321.
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