The Leitchfield City Council hosted a public forum on Tuesday to gauge interest in the construction of a recreation center on 10.4 acres of land across from the Aquatic Center donated by the Grayson Co. Healthcare Foundation.
In front of a standing room only crowd at Leitchfield City Hall, Councilman Dennis Fentress presented information gathered by himself, Grayson Co. Healthcare Foundation Director Brittany Clemons and Leitchfield Parks & Recreation Director Tammee Saltsman, by visiting recreation centers in Muhlenberg and Warren counties as well as other locations.
In speaking with officials from those and other counties regarding the construction of a rec center, Fentress said in his presentation that four of the possible uses of a recreation center were eliminated due to poor cost/benefit analysis results: An indoor soccer facility, indoor tennis, a workout gym, and a pool.
Fentress said — based on information he, Clemons and Saltsman gathered — having four Junior Pro basketball courts, with drop down volleyball nets, which could be used for the ever-popular sport of pickle ball, and an elevated walking track would possibly be the heart of the recreation center. Also featured would be meeting rooms and classrooms and possibly an indoor batting cage.
He noted that money can be generated by sports tourism, a growing sector in today’s travel ball world, by renting the entire facility for both children and adult leagues and tournaments.
Fentress presented the recreation center idea to T&T Construction to get an idea on how much the facility would cost to build, with the company estimating the cost at between $8 and $10 million (another construction company was also contacted and agreed with T&T’s estimate). The rec center equipment, Fentress said, would cost approximately $1 million.
He added, based on other recreation centers in Kentucky, it would cost about $360,000 per year to maintain the building (estimated to be between 40,000 and 50,000 square feet). That figure includes two full-time employees and four part-time workers.
He also said that the rec center in Muhlenberg County makes about $50,000 per year in concession sales and approximately $70,000 per year renting the facility for various tournaments.
Following Fentress’ presentation, 10 people spoke at the meeting, with all 10 enthusiastically supporting the idea. No one spoke against building the facility.
Clemons, while speaking to the council, said a rec center aligns with the healthcare foundation’s mission, which is, “To preserve and enhance long-term health and wellness through the support and advocacy of programs, institutions and facilities that improve health.”
“The board of directors of the (healthcare) foundation believes having a recreation center in Leitchfield will help us achieve that mission,” she stated.
Clemons then said that, according to the U.S. Diabetes Surveillance System, 44 percent of Grayson County residents are obese, while 24 percent of Kentucky’s children (ages 10 to 17) are obese.
Only 21 percent of Kentuckians said they have access to exercise opportunities, she stated.
“This data is compelling and validates a need for more exercise and health education opportunities for this community,” Clemons said. “The healthcare foundation sees a recreation center as an opportunity to invest in the health of our community members.”
Clemons went a step further by saying that the healthcare foundation is ready to invest dollars into the construction of the facility.
“The foundation is also prepared to make a significant financial contribution to the project. At this point that is not set in stone, so I can’t share exactly what that number is, but I will say it’s very significant.”
State Sen. Steve Meredith also spoke to the council and implored them to act in the best interest of the community.
“I would hope that you folks would have a vision for our community to truly help our young people; to improve the quality of health in the community; (and) to help us recruit jobs to Grayson County,” Meredith said. “We have a lot of responsibilities as elected officials, but I think one of the primary responsibilities is improving the quality of life of the people we serve. And here is a great opportunity to do that.”
State Rep. Samara Heavrin followed Meredith and noted the preponderance of young people at the public forum while offering strong support for a rec center.
“I stand tonight in support of a recreational center in the city of Leitchfield. While I do have some more in-depth questions about some of the details shared tonight, I do think it’s an important step for our community to take.”
Heavrin then focused on the benefits, both physically and mentally, a recreation center would provide to the youth of Grayson County.
“The big reason I’m also here is more opportunities for youth is always a priority of mine. As the chair of Families and Children I hear all the time that kids need community … kids thrive when they have a strong community around them,” she said “And actually, statistics show that kids that participate in activities are actually more successful later in life.
“The more opportunities for youth to be involved in recreational sports and activities is a win for our future generations here in Grayson County and Leitchfield. The activities can help with physical health, mental health and even help keep them out of trouble, which I believe every one of us as elected officials have heard. How do we keep kids busy?
“Sometimes we don’t bring to light enough is the mental health in our young kids. There’s a lot of suicidal ideation in young kids right now. What can we do to help that with their mental health? And that’s getting them involved in sports and activities and having it right here in the back yard. So, as we move forward and grow in Grayson County and Leitchfield it’s important to look at amenities that are offered here to our residents. Our goal is not only to grow our population but also to keep people here too.
“I believe this would be a great investment for the future health and well-being of our community but most importantly our kids, which are the future of Grayson County.”
Several other residents spoke to the council in support of a recreation center, including Dr. Joseph Lee, Grayson County High School tennis coach Sherry Vincent, CEO of Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center Ashley Herrington, retired teacher and principal and current vice-chair of the Board of Adjustments George Meredith, business owner and secretary of the Board of Adjustments Tim Bocock, and Grayson Co. Middle School student Kendal Stacell, among others.
The council will take the public’s comments under consideration, but with such overwhelming support for a recreation center, it appears the project will move forward.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
