Dale City Recreation Center

Fayetteville council briefed on $76 million bond issue for parks and recreation

Fayetteville's recreation director provided more details Monday about a proposed $76 million parks bond issue.

Michael Gibson said one of the top goals on the list is a $15 million combined multipurpose indoor swimming pool and recreation center for older residents at Mazarick Park, which is off Bragg Boulevard.

The building would be huge, with more than 120,000 square feet of space that would include an indoor running track, several meeting and banquet rooms and a fitness center.

Site Solutions, the city's consultant for the proposed bond package, has estimated that such a facility would cost about $1million a year to operate, but the city could expect to recoup all of that money by user fees and rental rates, Gibson said.

The public schools, for instance, have a strong interest in renting such a facility, which would operate year-round, he said.

"This is a very nice pool," said Gibson, director of the Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation Department.

The council members were briefed at Monday's work session but took no action.

Gibson said he and the consultant would fine-tune the plan and further develop its overall operating cost and potential revenues, and report back.

The list of proposed projects include five smaller outdoor pools, which would cost a combined $1 million annual operating cost, he said. They could be self-sustaining by swimmers, pool party rentals and other uses, he said.

Councilman Jim Arp called the plan "a very ambitious program."

Some council members, such as Ted Mohn and Bill Crisp, have previously said that $76 million is too much.

The Fayetteville City Council and the Cumberland Board of Commissioners are scheduled to meet jointly Sept. 29, when Gibson hopes to win final approval by local officials to hold a countywide referendum sometime in 2012.

After Monday's meeting, Mayor Tony Chavonne said he doubted Gibson's timeline could be met.

"A lot of work has to be done, and I can't image that's all going to be completed by then," Chavonne said.

Gibson recommends raising the county tax rate, if voters pass a bond, to pay for the $76 million debt.

How much of a tax increase?

He's still not sure, but the increase could be about 3 cents per $100 in assessed value.

The owner of a $150,000 home would pay $45 more each year in taxes with such a hike.

In the council members' only formal vote of the evening, they unanimously approved a budget amendment to use $20,893 in additional federal forfeiture funds, primarily to help Rape Crisis Volunteers of Cumberland County. The nonprofit agency announced last week that an unexpected funding problem could shut it down.

FREE YOGA CLASSES at Dale City Rec Center - Blogspot

There will NOT be an Enrichment Meeting in August! Hope you have a fun & relaxing month before school starts! NEW MEETING SCHEDULE STARTING IN SEPTEMBER!!! Beginning September 1st, Quantico Ward's Sacrament Meeting will begin at 8am on Sundays. All weekly youth and Relief Society meetings will now be held on Wednesday evenings. WED. SEPT 14th, 7-8:30pm: RS Family History Night. Learn how to get started and get excited about your own family's history! SAT. OCT 15th - SUPER SATURDAY!!! Plan ahead to attend a morning chock-full of inspirational mini-classes to help get our homes and lives in order!!! Stay tuned...more information to come!!! Wednesday, August 3 Anne Moncure Wall Park 4450 Waterway Drive, Montclair VA Wednesday, August 10 - National Zoo (Meet 10:30 at the Farm section) 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW -Washington, D.C. 20008 Wednesday, August 17 Burke Lake Park 7315 Ox Rd -Fairfax Station, VA 22039 http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/burkelake/rides.htm Wednesday, August 24 NEW - Special Harbor Spray ground at Franconia 6601 Telegraph Rd. - Franconia, VA Cost: Free http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/rec/lee/lee-spraypark.htm Wednesday, August 31 Playground at Locust Shade Park 4701 Locust Shade Dr. - Triangle, VA 22172 http://www.pwcparks.org/Recreation/LocustShadePark/tabid/126/Default.aspx Playground will be on the left. Just off Locust Shade Dr.

The Virginia Handbook

AIA journal

The Insiders' Guide to Washington, D. C.

Swimmers Guide, Directory of Pools for Fitness Swimmers

Foster City