Washington County, Abingdon Move Forward On Recreation Complex

ABINGDON, Va. – Washington County and the town of Abingdon moved forward on a joint recreation complex Tuesday with an agreement on project details.

The agreement ends months of wrangling between the county’s Board of Supervisors and Town Council over the composition of the authority that would govern the complex, and more recent concerns about the state of the economy.

The supervisors voted 7-0 Tuesday to approve council’s proposed amendments to the ordinance that would create the authority. Under the agreements receiving final approval, the county – which would provide 60 percent of the project’s cost – would appoint four members to the seven-member authority; the town would appoint the other three.

Among the amendments approved Tuesday, the supervisors agreed that the Abingdon Little League would be able to use the complex for home fields.

Both boards also agreed to move forward on financing the $2.37 million land purchase for the complex, and asked the town and county staffs to work on the details.

“When you get two public bodies that get together and agree on a major project … that’s a real plus,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Kenneth Reynolds, who stressed that there is now no conflict on the project.  “It’s really a monumental time when you can get two public bodies to come together.”

Town Councilwoman Cathy Lowe said “it’s a plus that we’re proud of.”

“What everybody’s saying, I think, on both sides is what we’re interested in, at this point in time, is purchasing the property because we’re obligated to do that,” Lowe said. “And then the authority at another point, or another point in the economy, may come back and ask us to build it out.”

Last fall, the town and county signed a land-purchase agreement to buy property from Clifton-Stewart on U.S. Highway 11 between Interstate 81’s Exits 19 and 22.

Officials on both sides said they intend to have the necessary public hearings and act on the plans in November.

According to figures presented by Roland Kooch of Davenport & Co., initial borrowing for the complex would be through a bond anticipation note for $3.123 million, which would cover the land purchase and professional services.

“At that point, if we can afford it we’ll” build the complex, said Jack McCrady, vice chairman of the Board of Supervisors.

According to the finance plan, the bond would be repaid as part of a larger financing package for the $8 million to $10 million project, which would cost at least $600,000 a year over two or three decades.
“We’re going to be very cautious about it given the current state of economic affairs,” Vice Mayor Ed Morgan said of the project.

“You have people of good will who want to do something good for the community,” Morgan said. “When you have that situation you can usually find a way to work through problems.”

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