Norfolk Daily News

Saturday – March 29, 2008

“I think the package has to be approved by the voters… The whole thing is very necessary if you look at all our facilities.” – Norfolk Mayor Gordon Adams

Aquatic Center could be added in the future

A master plan for improvement of athletic fields at Memorial Field and Ta-ha-zouka Park now is in the hands of Norfolk officials.

The plan outlines $4.19 million in renovations at the city-owned Memorial Field, plus possible construction of an aquatic center in place of the baseball field. The baseball field would be moved to join all the other ballfields at Ta-ha-zouka Park, which would see $2.29 million in improvements.

Last year, a committee of representatives from the city, Norfolk Public Schools, Lutheran High Northeast and Norfolk Catholic Schools interviewed firms and selected DLR Group of Omaha to prepare the plan, which was finished earlier this year.

How it will come together isn’t clear yet.

For one thing, city officials await the outcome of the May primary election and whether voters will authorize the start of keno in Norfolk. In placing it on the ballot last year, the city council decided to devote any keno profits, estimated at around $400,000 annually, to unspecified recreation improvements — if voters give their approval.

A discussion earlier this month about the parks involved members of the water park committee, the mayor, the council’s recreation subcommittee and city staff.

The sense of the water park group was that the issue should be prepared for an election ballot in May 2009, preceded by a year of meetings with community groups, according to a summary of the meeting.

Burbach Aquatics is coming up with a design for the aquatic center, a scaled-back version of the water park that was rejected by voters three years ago. No cost estimate is in the new master plan for the aquatic center.

The master plan outlines improvements to the aging bleachers at Memorial Field, which don’t meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. The football field would be widened for soccer, get a new surface and have seating added in the south end zone. A new press box, fencing, restrooms, field lighting, walks and ticket booths are in the plan, too.

The skate park would be moved to the south to allow room for a new restroom and concession building. The swimming pool would be demolished once the aquatic center is built.

A multipurpose locker room-bathhouse is envisioned between the aquatic center and football field. It could be used by swimmers in the summer, football and soccer teams at others times of the year and have a meeting room for coaches and lifeguards.

Another possibility is working with the VFW and American Legion to make the entrance into a focal point in honor of veterans, since the area is called Memorial Field.

‘Highest priority’
It’s an ambitious plan that might be done in phases or presented as a complete package in cooperation with the schools that use the fields. No recommendations have emerged yet, and meetings are anticipated to introduce the plan to the schools and other groups.

“I think the package has to be approved by the voters. I think the big issue is not to split it up,’’ Mayor Gordon Adams said. “The whole thing is very necessary if you look at all our facilities.’’

He noted that spending on recreation improvements has been deferred in favor of other higher city priorities.

“We are in need of better recreational facilities if we want to be an attractive community to people who are thinking about locating here. This is economic development of the highest priority, in my mind,’’ he said.

Adams said there haven’t been in-depth discussions yet with the council and others, but “this has so much more priority than a city office building.’’

“I would emphasize how important I feel this is,’’ he said. “I have been very reluctant to suggest anything that would raise taxes. This one is worth it, I think.’’

It could be presented in the form of a bond issue for a public vote, he said, adding that expectations aren’t really high that voters will pass keno this May.

The two members of the council’s recreation subcommittee, Dave Fauss and Erik Wilson, also were asked about the plan.
Fauss said fixing bleachers at the football field must be a priority, as should improved dressing rooms for teams and the field itself.

“Class A teams are not wanting to come here because of that,’’ he said. “The Memorial Field project is very important from that aspect, to get the football field up to shape. It should be the No. 1 priority in my opinion.’’

It’s also a good idea to move the baseball field to Ta-ha-zouka Park, he said, and would be easier for people running tournaments for games to all be in one location.

‘So much has to be decided’
Fauss said improvements might be done in phases, especially if it’s decided not to go with a bond issue. Another variable is how much in contributions might come from the schools that use the facilities.

“The schools will all chip in, too. It depends on how much,’’ he said. “So much has to be decided before those issues get answered.’’

Wilson said it would be important to involve the public in a discussion to understand the full scope of the plan — that it isn’t just for Memorial Field.

“The baseball field (at Ta-ha-zouka) will be an amazing structure in and of itself,’’ he said.

The concept involves tiered seating, a 406-seat stadium behind home plate, and future nature center and future batting practice building. Restrooms and a concessions stand with running water would be built. Currently, portable toilets have to be brought in for ball games.

With the new baseball field, the school could play both varsity and junior varsity games there instead of splitting them up at the two locations now.

‘Accident waiting to happen’
The old visitors’ bleachers at the football field “were an accident waiting to happen,’’ Wilson said, and it’s why bleachers were brought in for playoff games.

“The (grass) field itself, you have three schools playing on it. Even with our great groundskeepers, you can’t keep up with that type of abuse on it,’’ he said.

A new field might open the door to attracting state playoff games to Norfolk, Wilson said.

“If we have a Class A, top-of-the-line facility, that will move us to top of the list and bring people to Norfolk and spend the night in our hotels,’’ he said. “It’s a good opportunity for us for economic development.’’

No timeline has been set for a proposed project.

“There are a lot of things to tie in for this to come through like it’s supposed to,’’ Wilson said.