Wednesday, April 10, 2002
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Wednesday, April 10, 2002 |
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County wants survey for recreation needs By JOHN THOMPSON
Within the next year, Fayette County should have a better idea of its future recreational needs. That's because the Fayette County Commission approved spending just over $35,000 for a comprehensive study of the county's recreational facilities and needs during last weeks County Commission meeting. Additionally, the study will give a needs assessment or the newly-acquired park land in the northern part of the county. Recreation is one of the big draws for residents moving to the county and chairman Greg Dunn says he wants to make sure the study is done objectively and does not slant towards any one group of sports fans. "We don't need a lot of lobbying," he said. Louis Downer, who represented the winning firm, ALDH & Associates, said he planned to get as much data as possible from residents. He plans to hold public meetings to gauge the public's interest for various proposals and also conduct phone surveys. When pressed for more information from Commissioner Linda Wells, Downer said the company would conduct 1,000 phone interviews and also conduct surveys outside various community events, such as the Recreation Department's monthly yard sale. But, he added, the study would not make recommendations where future recreation sites should be built. "That's another whole issue,' he said. The commissioners also emphasized the bulk of the study was to concentrate on future recreational needs, and not just the new park. "I've only driven by the site of the park to get a feel for it. We won't do anything until the entire study is completed," he said. Downer does plan to pursue an aggressive schedule in getting the survey completed. By April 8, he wants to meet with county officials to formalize the questions used in the phone survey. The actual survey will take two weeks to complete and he plans to be ready to start designing the new park by June 21. Wells was clear in what she did not want to see when the survey was completed. "Last time, we got an $11 million plan. We don't want that."
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