The demand for recreation field space is on the rise, creating an issue that will ultimately have to be dealt with, Recreation Commission Chairman David Ring told the Peachtree City Council Thursday night.

The commission is planning a series of public workshops to get input on how best to handle the demand for fields, Ring said. The problem is particularly an issue during seasons for soccer, lacrosse and football, officials have said.

Ultimately the commission’s goal is to have a multipurpose artificial turf field at the city’s baseball and soccer complex on Ga. Highway 74 south, Ring noted.

The city has been successful in soliciting sports tournaments that help bring hotel guests to the city on weekends, Ring said. The city in 2007 had 13 such tournaments but this year ran that figure to 29, he added.

The important thing is to take the revenue from those tournaments and put them back into maintenance of the facilities.

Ring said the commission is also hopeful a solution can be found to add a stoplight to the northern entrance/exit to the baseball and soccer complex. The Georgia Department of Transportation three times has turned down the city’s request for that light because it doesn’t meet the requirements for traffic volume or traffic accidents.

That stretch of Hwy. 74 south will be widened from two to four lanes stretching from Cooper Circle southward to Ga. Highway 85 in the next year or two.

Councilman Doug Sturbaum said the city council would fight to get the traffic light.

“When that road widens it becomes more critical,” Sturbaum said.

Ring said the situation becomes serious when considering the number of families that use the baseball soccer complex.

“We’d like to pursue this at whatever level is necessary,” Ring said.