By Manuel Perez-Rivas
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 8, 1999; Page D07

The Montgomery County Planning Board neared approval last night of the $17 million, 24-field soccer complex planned for Germantown, concluding work on a series of key issues surrounding the project, which would be the largest soccer facility in the Washington region.

Even though planners have tried to address some of the concerns raised by residents who live near the site of the proposed SoccerPlex, the project remains unpopular with many would-be neighbors, who are worried about its impact.

After last night's meeting, residents complained that most of the complex -- 19 fields -- will be ready by next fall, not providing enough time to gauge the impact of building so many fields in one place. Five more fields would be built in two later stages.

In addition to the soccer fields, the county would build a variety of facilities for other uses, including an aquatic center, a golf driving range and a tennis facility. All would be on the nearly 700-acre South Germantown Recreational Park, which is largely undeveloped.

"All of the big issues that confronted us along the way, we've dealt with," said Planning Board Chairman William H. Hussmann. "I think we will have a park that will be of great value to the surrounding community."

Last night's work session was the board's third on the SoccerPlex. One more work session is scheduled for this month, at which the board will go over the business plan submitted by the Maryland Soccer Foundation, a nonprofit organization that has pledged to raise $11 million in private funds to help pay for the facility. The proposal will then go before the County Council, which will have the final say.

Maryland Soccer Foundation officials also addressed the issue of net revenue generated by the facility. At the previous work session, there was debate about how that money should be used, with foundation officials saying they would use it to renovate existing soccer fields elsewhere in the county and build new fields. Yesterday, Foundation President Kenneth Salomon said the money would be used to renovate fields, if the Planning Board agreed.

Some residents of the surrounding south Germantown community believe the county has rushed the project through the planning process. Community residents said last night that they do not believe officials have adequately reviewed effects on traffic and on ground water from the maintenance of so many fields.

In its work to date, the Planning Board has addressed some of the community's concerns. In particular, the board decided that local ground water -- which feeds many residents' wells -- would not be used to irrigate the 24-field complex. Upcounty representatives were added to a committee that would oversee issues relating to the facility. Two of the 24 fields would be set aside as "community use" fields, and permits for those fields would be issued by the Planning Board instead of the Soccer Foundation, which would control the other soccer fields.

Last night, Hussmann said the complex will not open unless a road slated for construction later this year is open on time.

Yet residents at last night's meeting said those provisions are not enough to address their worries about having such a large facility in their midst.

"They think that they have met all our concerns, and we don't feel that they have," said Rita Auth, who lives down the street from the proposed SoccerPlex.