ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 23, 1997 TAG: 9701230035
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: FINCASTLE
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM STAFF WRITER
There will be more than just widget-making and number-crunching going on at Botetourt County's massive multiuse park, Botetourt Center at Greenfield.
There could be a little Frisbee throwing.
And swimming.
And tennis, horseback riding, picnicking, fishing, hiking, baseball, soccer, volleyball, football and softball.
Facilities for all those activities are on the ambitious plan for the almost 150-acre recreation area that will be part of the 900-acre Greenfield project. The rest of Greenfield will include about 500 acres for industrial development, more than 100 acres for an office park, and slightly more than 18 acres for a new elementary school and lots of natural conservation areas.
Plans for the sprawling recreation area, which will run along Etzler Road off U.S. 220 in the Amsterdam section, were presented to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday. The park will include two sports field complexes, an equestrian area, nearly two miles of horse and pedestrian trails, a pond, and a community center with tennis courts and swimming pool. Many of the areas will be accessible to the handicapped.
The plans may change; the cost is still unknown, as are the specifics on where the money will come from; but the presentation still had people excited.
"I think this is super," said frequent Greenfield critic Bob Bagnoli, who lives near the proposed park. "I think it will be a gem for the community, and to delay it would be a mistake."
County Administrator Jerry Burgess said completion of the whole park might take 15 years, but parts should be available for use within two years.
The design for the park is the result of a survey of 500 residents, which identified opinions of existing recreational facilities and what new ones are needed. There were also work sessions and public meetings.
"We just got as much feedback as we could and developed a project from it," said John Schmidt of Hill Studio in Roanoke, the landscape architect for the project. "It was a real juggling act, between getting all the county's needs in there and being sensitive to the site and sensitive to the neighbors."
Schmidt said he especially likes the way the design takes advantage of existing topography. Roads follow the contours of the land to reduce grading, and groves of trees separate the ball fields from nearby neighborhoods.
Burgess is especially proud of the universal access areas. He said it's especially important to him that the park be usable by all of the county's residents.
The park is designed in five sections:
nComplex A features four baseball diamonds that fan out from a central press box and concession area. The outfield of each baseball diamond can accommodate a full-size soccer field, a particular need in Botetourt thanks to growing interest in youth soccer. The outfields could also be used for football.
nComplex B contains more soccer fields.
nThe Developmental Horse Area has a riding ring and a jumping area, as well access to trails.
nThe Preston Pond area takes advantage of an existing pond to provide a place for fishing and picnicking. It's one of the areas that will be accessible to everyone.
nThe Community Center will sit on a ridge overlooking the park. Indoors will be a multipurpose room for dinners, meetings, plays and other performances. Surrounding the center will be tennis courts, a basketball court and a pool.
Burgess said the county's next move will be to develop cost estimates for each area. The county recreation department will then work on a plan for building the park in phases.
What gets built first could be affected by a number of factors, including demand and the possibility that private and corporate donors might fund certain parts of the park.
Burgess said he also thinks a portion of the revenues from the businesses that locate in Greenfield should be dedicated to building the recreation facilities.
Marketing of the business sites in Greenfield should begin next month, Burgess said. A sewer line to the property is awaiting state approval, and water sources are being tested and developed.
Burgess said he expects the first sites in the business park in Greenfield to be ready for occupancy in late 1998.
Staff Writer Jo Anne Poindexter contributed to this story.
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Map by staff. color.by CNB