Sports Complex Proposal Goes Into Extra Innings

ABINGDON, Va. – The Abingdon Town Council did not vote on an agreement Monday night spelling out details of a joint sports complex with Washington County, opting instead to ask for another meeting with county officials.

“There are some issues that we have been attempting to address on that with our potential partners, the Washington County Board of Supervisors, one of which is the proposed recreational facilities authority, the composition of that particular board,” said Vice Mayor Ed Morgan.

“As we have moved forward we realized there are additional topics also on consideration.”

The project has been stalled for months as the deadline looms to close on the property both entities agreed to buy for $2.37 million; the main sticking point has been the issue of representation on the governing authority for the complex.

The two elected bodies have sent various proposals back and forth and held several joint meetings. During the most recent – between the mayor and vice mayor of Abingdon and the chairman and vice chairman of the Board of Supervisors – a tentative deal was hammered out.

Some of the topics Morgan said council members want to discuss are the makeup of the authority, the bond market, use of the complex by town teams and residents, the anticipated construction schedule and a proposed land swap with one of the landowners.

“Both the Washington County Board of Supervisors and the town of Abingdon have put a lot of effort into this, but it’s a very complex issue and one that we found to be very challenging. It is our hope that at the end of this meeting there would be some final resolution one way or the other on how we are going to proceed on this venture,” Morgan said.

Jack McCrady, the Board of Supervisors vice chairman, said after the meeting that he is “astounded” by the town’s vote.

“I thought at the last meeting we were in agreement. And now we’re not in agreement?” said McCrady, who was reached by phone late Monday. “What in the world’s going on down there?”

After the deal was reached in a lengthy meeting between McCrady, Morgan, Mayor Lois Humphreys and Board of Supervisors Chairman Kenneth Reynolds, the supervisors approved the agreed details and asked the town to do the same.

“I just wonder why we have to keep batting this back and forth,” McCrady said. “Do they want it or not? ... It’s time to step up to the plate or to walk away, one or the other.”

He said he -– and the board – would probably be open to another meeting if it’s necessary – but he’s ready for a decision. He denied rumors that each side is merely seeking a strategic position to blame the other for killing the project.

He said if the proposed partnership with the town doesn’t work out, the county will build a sports complex somewhere and continue to build Little League fields around the county.

Town Council member Cathy Lowe, meanwhile, said she is optimistic about the proposed meeting.

“I think our meeting with the supervisors will be a productive one, and I think we’ll all be able to work together,” she said. “That’s why we want to meet one more time: to make sure that we have all of our I’s dotted and our T’s crossed.”

McCrady said he’s disappointed no decision was made Monday and others probably will be, too.

“But we’ll see what happens,” he said. “I don’t know. But anyway, it’s going to be interesting.”

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