PTC Sports Fields Additions

Something gnaws and I need to see if anyone else can either provide more information that will make this make sense, or can show me the error of my logic…

Peachtree City voters will vote as to whether the city should finance two new sports fields at a cost of $2.2 to $3.56 million to support the youth football and soccer programs.

Quotes from the Citizen article:

“The youth football association has said having new fields would allow for adequate practice space, playing space and parking for the program…the city’s football program recently had to cap its registration due to lack of room at Riley Field. The level of out of county residents participation in the football and cheerleader programs has been round 50 percent, which association officials have said is due in part to make sure there are enough kids to fill out rosters…”

So…in the beginning, the city funds a sports field for the youth football program. Looking ahead, the field is purposely designed for future growth and demand, which is reasonable. Since the field is actually too much for current demand, out of county residents are also allowed to join the city program in order to make best use of the field. Down the line, the residents actually using the field amount to about half of the youth in the program. The other half of the program is filled with out of county residents. The field is now being used to capacity. It is time to spend a lot of money and build another field in order to meet the current demand. A lot of money (up to 3.56 million) will come from the town taxpayers whose youth make up only ½ of the participants. With the new field, the football association will have more than enough space for the current program, but will most likely need to find additional players just to keep the quotas up. Since the 50 percent of Peachtree City youth in the program seems to be the maximum from that resource, the city will find it necessary to open up the rosters to out of county residents even more.

None of this is making sense to me. It seems like we would provide field space for all of the Peachtree City youth who want to participate and then cap the out of county participation so as not to glut the field instead of continuing to spend lots of money and build additional fields so that we can fund programs for out of county residents. It does not seem to be the demand or need of the residents who need additional fields, but the demands and needs of those who are from out of the area and who should be using youth programs sponsored by their own municipalities and counties.

I am all for providing good recreational programs for the youth of our town. I am also all for making the best use of the fields and equipment that has been provided. I am against funding programs just so over 50 per cent of residents from other areas can participate in youth sports programs. I don’t think that is where the city’s tax dollars should go, especially when there are other needs to benefit residents that are becoming critical.

traffic

Submitted by ptcjenn on Sat, 06/23/2007 - 9:46am.

I'd just like to add that capping the registrations by limiting out of county participation would also reduce traffic in the area. If we don't purposely build nice new fields that need out of county players to fill them, there are fewer cars coming and going several times a week. I don't think it should become 'Peachtree City only', there are neighborhoods in Senoia and Fayetteville that are right on the line and those kids would have to travel more if they couldn't play here, but maybe restricting the registration by distance would help. I'd so much rather they restrict it to local kids only and use only part of that money to improve the fields they already have!

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Let's See......If I Understand This.....

Submitted by skyspy on Fri, 06/22/2007 - 4:38pm.

I should pay extra taxes so that out of county.....not just out of city residents...but out of county residents can benefit?????

Seriously?? Seriously???

It's bad enough my taxes pay for 70, large in fireworks for everyone else to enjoy.....now a couple mill. so they have a place to play...?

These other counties and cities need to stand on their own feet and pay for amenities that they want. It's time for the PTC welfare train to close. The cities that surround us are too lazy and too cheap to even have their own fireworks displays, and now they want to soak us for a couple extra mill. for fields to play in? These mooooocherrrrs need to go away.

Even our councilfools can't be serious about this one.

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Almost $2 Million Per Field, God Help Us

Submitted by Spear Road Guy on Fri, 06/22/2007 - 3:27pm.

Who is designing these fields, the Coweta County Commissioners? Why don't you take out the valet parking, hot towels and the concession stand/spa how about it?

When I was a kid, we played on good old natural grass and we turned out just fine.

The problem with Peachtree City is our eyes are always bigger than our stomachs.

Vote Republican

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