From the Gazette Papers 3/17/99

by JoAnn Grbach
Staff Writer

A final decision to approve a 24-field soccer complex at South Germantown Recreational Park will be delayed one week while a plan to pay for operating and maintaining it is reviewed, a County Council committee decided Monday.

The Montgomery County Council will decide March 30 whether to approve the $19.8 million public-private venture that has galvanized a community torn between the promise of a premier recreational facility and concerns that such a large complex will infringe on park neighbors.

"This is both, for this community and for this region, a project of significance," said William Hussmann, chairman of the Montgomery County Planning Board. "What this park is going to allow us to do is take some of the pressure off local fields."

The council will also have to approve spending for other recreational amenities. The council's Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee held two work sessions in the past few days to decide, in part, which of non-soccer uses should be built first at the park.

The committee is expected to recommend building a central park, picnic areas, an adventure playground and trails first.

But earlier this month, Council members Nancy Dacek (R-Dist. 2) of Darnestown, who represents the Germantown area, and Steve Silverman (D-At large) of Silver Spring introduced an amendment to the fiscal 2000 capital budget to build an $8 million indoor swim center. They are urging Department of Recreation officials to locate the pool in the park.

That capital budget item will have to be approved separately from other park facilities because it is not a facility maintained by the parks department.

"I believe this project is one that will show our commitment to the public facilities in the park," Dacek said Monday during the committee meeting. Dacek is not a member of the committee.

Last January, plans were announced for a 24-field soccer complex that includes a championship field with seating for 3,200 people and an indoor arena at the 655-acre park, located off Schaeffer Road and Route 118.

Since then, county planners and the Maryland Soccer Foundation -- the nonprofit group formed to represent youth soccer interests and that promised to raise $11 million to build the complex -- have worked to allay fears in the community about noise, light, traffic and possible groundwater contamination.

The county will pay about $5.8 million for the park, with $2.7 million going to the cost of widening the main entrance road, Schaeffer Road, to the park. The state has also given $4 million to the county through Program Open Space, allowing the county to divert other funds to the complex.

And county officials have promised to review many of the issue before allowing the second and third phase of development begin at the park. Last week, officials said they will also review the foundation's ability to pay for the complex. The foundation estimates it will cost $2 million annually to operate the complex.

"The intent of the council was also, not only to review the impact on environment and traffic, but also to review the business plan," Dacek said. "I think the business plan is also a major concern."

A consultant will review the plan, particularly the revenue projections outlined for the indoor arena. The foundation convinced county planners in January the soccer complex will be able to sustain itself through revenues generated at the indoor facility.

"I think that has got to be the focus of the study," said Philip Andrews (D-Dist. 3) of Rockville. "I think the odds of this working out are very good."

The committee limited the review to focus primarily on the revenues generated from the indoor facility to keep the cost to a minimum and to ensure the project is not delayed longer.

"I'm not anxious to create uncertainty over this project or suggest it will be delayed," said Councilman Derick Berlage (D-Dist. 5) of Silver Spring.

The county's consultant also reviewed plans for a conference center in Bethesda and mall in Silver Spring.

The committee is expected to review that study March 23 for council action March 30.

"This is absolutely of the essence in order to meet our schedule for reviewing this," Silverman said.

Besides choosing non-soccer uses for the park and ensuring the foundation can pay for the project as promised, the committee also said the park cannot open without the completion of three roads that will provide access. The park is scheduled to open in fall 2000.

New traffic projections for roads leading to the park have been issued. Despite increases in the number of cars by several thousand that will travel the roads, traffic officials said the roads can handle the volume.

Richter Farm Road, which will connect Route 118 and Schaeffer Road, is a critical link to the park that provides another access point to Schaeffer Road and supports traffic studies.

Schaeffer Road will have to be widened to accommodate traffic entering the park and a road within the park will also have to be completed. Schaeffer Road will eventually be widened to four lanes, but will only be widened slightly for the park opening.

Other issues discussed include lengthening water monitoring studies to four years instead of one after the park has been open and determining how many tournaments can be held at the park.

The foundation has said it will hold six major tournaments, which are defined as requiring the use of all 24 fields, and will produce as many as 144 games a day.

Now, there are questions about how many smaller tournaments will be held, which could produce as many as 85 games per day.

"It is a little unsettling to have it sort of uncertain as to what will be coming along," Dacek said. "This 85 games a day is a lot."

And a possible suggestion to promote the complex as a possible site that can be included in the Washington area's 2012 Olympic bid was initiated by Andrews.

"We would get a lot of people's attention," Hussmann said. "If we're going to think about that seriously, we need to do just that, think about it seriously."