Washington County, Va., Officials Mull Rec Complex Details

ABINGDON, Va. – Washington County, Va., officials will move forward with an archeological study of a site planned for a recreation complex, but they will wait on deciding details surrounding the project.

Abingdon and county officials agreed last fall to jointly purchase the 60-acre property between exits 19 and 22 of Interstate 81 for $2.37 million, but specifics about building and operating the development remain unresolved.

Among the issues yet to be worked out: Who will finance the purchase and contract for the work to be done, how the town and county will split the cost and who will ultimately own and manage the sports complex.

After the purchase agreement was approved, some Washington County supervisors expressed concerns that such details should have been worked out before the pact for the land purchase, which was more than double the amount initially planned.

Recommendations from the town were before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

The recommendations include the study, which is not to exceed $10,000; county contracting for the project; 50/50 ownership until a joint recreation commission is set up to own and run it; financing by the town until the recreation commission is created; and a 70/30 cost split between the county and town.

"We want to make sure that we’re not disturbing anything of historical significance," Abingdon Town Manager Greg Kelly said last week of the study recommendation. "There has already been an environmental study done of the land, and there appears to be no environmental hazards on the property."

While agreeing with a 6-1 vote Tuesday night to move forward with the archeological study, county supervisors said they wanted more time to consider the town’s other requests.

Supervisor Paul Price, who voted against the motion to pay for the study and wait on the other decisions, said during tough economic times with decreasing revenue, the county should be more careful with spending.

"I didn’t see why we should spend any more money until we get the answers to all the questions we have," Price said. "It didn’t make sense to keep spending money, and then somewhere down the road say we’re not going to do this."

Specifically, he said the cost-sharing issue – whether the county will fund 50, 60 or 70 percent of the project – should be ironed out before additional money is spent on studies.

"We’re in some tough times, and $5,000 is a lot of money in tough times," Price said. "I’m just a businessman. I have to look at things with common sense. ... There’s a word that’s not being used much, and it’s called: conserve. We’re going to have to learn it."

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