Friday, June 29, 2012
Presenting the Youth Sports Alliance Proposal Continued
I don't know how else to do this, so I am starting a new post, which is a continuation of the previous post, Presenting the Youth Sports Alliance Proposal. After 177 comments, it has gotten to be a little time consuming scrolling down to the end of the comments. Please read the final comments, including the thoughtful and respectful comment from Brooks Broadhurst. I am not snipping the thread, just asking you to post your comments on this one. I don't want to lose the momentum, but scrolling through 177 comments is a bit much. Thanks for your patience and cooperation.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 comments:
Mr. Broadhurst,
I neglected to mention that although MTL is viewed as an affluent communtiy, the median household income is $77,000/year. This is significantly less than some of our adjoining communities, with which we compete.
Elaine, you note that turfing Middle and Wildcat have zoning and variance issues. I assume you are referring to the lights, because I'm not sure that replacing a grass field with a turf field requires a variance. I could be wrong. However, do we know that we can put a field at the public works space without similar issues? What about traffic flow and curb cuts at that location, which up until now has only been used for public works vehicles. And where do we move the public works operations, and at what cost?
Also, you note that questions about the funding of the turf still exist. I agree. But where would the money come from to build the junior public works field ($700,000), the new Robb Hollow space ($95,000) and also to spiff up Brafferton ($360,000) and Bird ($100,000) under the Fraasch/Kluck proposal?
If we are spending the same amount of money on either plan, the discussion should be about which plan offers our residents more for their money.
The biggest issue with our fields is not their condition (except for Mellon, which is awful). Most of our baseball fields are in good condition. Our other fields (Bird, Jefferson) could benefit from some time off, but that only works if a similar sized field comes online to take the pressure off.
Our biggest problem is field space - full field space (not baseball field space). We need more space because the types of sports and the number of participants have clearly outpaced our inventory. We need space for soccer, lacrosse, football, field hockey . . . all of which are currently wrestling for time on one of our 4 full sized fields (and that # really is 3 since the HS turf is basically off limits to all but a few days for youth sport).
Turfing Middle and Wildcat, in my opinion, creates that additional space. Multiple youth football games can take place at once. Same with Rec and youth soccer games. Multiple age groups can practice lacrosse on this space and the same goes for field hockey. Soccer games for the older age groups can also be moved to this space allowing Bird and Jefferson some time off each week.
As for health/safety/environmental issues, I suppose I take comfort in knowing that most of our surrounding communities, universities, municipalities and the bright minds that operate them have undertaken the analysis and chosen turf. For example, I'm sure that Pitt/UPMC have some top notch experts on environmental and injury causation issues, and their brand new turfed baseball/softball/soccer facilities are wonderful.
Dave Franklin
Would Eat 'N Park be willing to sponsor those fields? There. I asked it because I know people were thinking it.
Elaine
Dave,
Lighting will require a variance, but there are other concerns regarding zoning such as property lines.
You ask how the Fraasch/Kluck plan would have been funded. It would have been funded through the unassigned funds, but Commissioners Brumfield and Linfante wouldn't support it. It would have addressed many of your concerns and would not have required floating a bond. As I have said before, their plan would have included a mower for the golf course, a necessity in my mind.commissioners Fraasch and Kluck listened at the recreation meeting that was held and tried to come up with a plan that would meet the needs of many, including youth sports, instead of just youth sports. But unfortunately, that ship has sailed.
As far as your last paragraph, I would respond with the same answer I would give my own children, "If ____ jumped off a bridge, does that mean that you should too?" I think it a mistake to turf any field.
Elaine
Commissioners Fraasch and Kluck can certainly comment on their own plan, but as I understood it based upon the spreadsheet that they gave to me only Bird ($100,000) and Brafferton ($360,000) were to come out of the unassigned funds.
The cost of the Public Works/Cedar field ($700,000) and Robb Hollow ($95,000) were to come as part of single bond issuance in the next 12-24 months that also included $4M for the pool, $978,000 for the ice rink, $115,000 for the tennis courts, and $690,000 for the golf course.
The golf course mowers ($136,000) were also proposed as part of their undesignated fund balance request.
Dave Franklin
For what it's worth, I think the comprehensive Rec bond is a great idea, especially given the necessity of much of this work and the low interest rates. I don't think we need the level of capital improvements at the golf course that have been suggested (no offense Matt), but I do think improvements at the pool, ice rink, rec center, etc are long overdue.
I hope that we can all agree to include a turf project in that comprehensive proposal to really make it a win-win for all aspects of recreation and youth sports in our community.
Dave Franklin
Elaine,
From what I saw last week, the vast majority of the 22 ads that are now supporting the Scott Township baseball field are companies that are located in Mt. Lebanon.
Jay Neff
My sixteen year old kid proposed we buy her a $60,000 Range Rover Sport. Said she help buy it with a couple hundred dollars from her baby sitting funds and could maybe contribute a couple of dollars a month towards the payments.
Mom and dad said maybe something in a used Toyota or Honda.
She stomped out of the room crying... "you don't want me to drive."
Know what, she'll get over it.
Sounds like daughter has a "silk purse" taste and Mom and Dad have a "Sow's ear" purse.
"LifeSmiles Park" has a certain panache.
Any one care to put the value on naming rights for a turfed and lighted Wildcat/Middle athletic space?
C'mon now, you don't like sports?
Value of the naming rights for a bynch of 8 year-olds and their parents? Ha...I'm guessing in the low tens...of dollars...
Something that would be awesome would be a LED Mt. Lebanon debt clock that would show how much money this town has borrowed or "floated" on bonds. The clock could calculate the coming interest. Maybe it would motivate the little ones knowing they had to bank on getting a baseball scholarship because mom and dad won't have any money left by the time college rolls around.
Sorry for the cross post. The following threat comes from Dave Franklin. Please humor me and sign you name when you take a shot at him. Of course, on his blog, he permits anonymous shots at me.
Elaine:
Please be advised that I am no longer going to comment on your blog. I'm sure
that makes you happy. However, please also understand that the next time I am
defamed by an anonymous poster, I will take appropriate action. Thank you for
your cooperation.
Dave Franklin
Post a Comment