The Coweta County Commission Dec. 16 approved a report on the proposed 40.7-acre Madras recreation site located in northeast Coweta that calls for both active and passive recreation amenities.

The Madras Recreation Needs Assessment will become a component of an upcoming master recreation plan. The county-owned site is located along Hal Jones Road just south of Frank Cook Road.

Ecos Environmental Design, Inc. representative Matt Wilder presented the findings of the Madras property needs assessment and showed how the site would accommodate Coweta’s future growth.

“It is recommended that Coweta County continue to add facilities throughout the county as conditions allow,” Wilder said in the Ecos report. “Recommendations for the Madras property are based on the immediate needs recognized by the Parks & Recreation Department staff and are supported by the findings of the recreation needs assessment.”

The assessment accounted for the county’s current population, projected growth, available recreation venues and projected recreation needs.

The report included four recommendations for the Madras site. Those included utilizing the acreage for football and soccer, baseball/softball facilities, providing passive recreation amenities such as pavilions and walking/jogging trails and a future gym and tennis center.

The assessment noted Coweta’s rapid growth in recent years and the expectation that such growth is likely to continue. The county is currently at a deficit in terms of recreational facilities available to the public except for youth baseball fields which have a surplus of availability, Wilder said. The surplus should continue for the next 5 years, a factor that may allow some relief to the deficiencies in youth softball playing areas.

The most significant problem is with the availability of football and soccer fields in the near-term.

“Football and soccer fields are currently in a slight deficit when looked at solely based on fields per population standards. However, when coupled with the surging rise in spring and fall soccer league participation it can be concluded that league participation may quickly outpace field supply,” Wilder said. “Football fields, when not in use for football or lacrosse activities, could be utilized for peak time soccer play. However, the quickly rising soccer participation and the narrowly deficient field supply indicate that the county should increase the soccer/larger rectangular multi-use field supply to keep pace with demand for use.”

And that is where Madras comes in. The needs assessment concluded that the Madras property was a desirable site for recreational development based on current and future population figures, pubic participation in recreation activities and anticipated levels of service.

The needs assessment for the Madras property will be included in the county’s upcoming recreation master plan. County Administrator Theron Gay said Ecos might participate in the development of the master plan.

By BEN NELMS
bnelms@TheCitizen.com

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