Work session moves Darlington Recreation Complex discussions along
By Melissa Rollins, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
The City of Darlington is one step closer to finding out whether they will receive land from the Darlington County School District on which to build their much-anticipated recreational complex. During a school district work session on Monday June 5, Darlington County Recreation Director Lee Andrews spoke again with members of the board.
Andrews first spoke to the board during their April meeting, telling them about the city’s desire to have a complex for baseball and softball, among other amenities. He told them that he would return with a proposal after a community meeting to gauge interest amongst the city’s residents, specifically those in neighborhoods that would be impacted.
When he returned the following month, several board members expressed concerns about the district’s expansion/building plans and how gifting the city property might affect that. Board chair Jamie Morphis addressed the ongoing discussions during the work session.
“As you know, we’ve had conversations over the last few months,” Morphis said. “We kind of left it open-ended and I wanted to bring that back and get some feedback from you all (the board) to move forward with some things.”
Morphis said that during the regular June school board meeting, the city will get an answer on each of the properties under discussion.
“We had three different locations that the city was looking to the district to possibly give,” Morphis said. “We have had considerable explanations at y’all’s request and of course we’ve had some other discussion. It will be on the agenda for our next board meeting so this can be put to rest and the city can move forward.”
The three properties are Mayo’s Virgil Wells Stadium, the ballfields located on Blue Street and the amphitheater at St. John’s Elementary School. The city is also requesting a 100 ft easement on either side of the creek at St. John’s for a walking trail.
Andrews told the board that each request could be considered individually and that a ‘no’ on a single property would not kill the city’s plans.
“Don’t think that the amphitheater is going to kill the 100 feet,” Andrews said. “Look at it at four properties if you need to.”
When board members asked for a timeframe, expressing concern that if the district gives the city the property it will sit there unused, Andrews said that the city will be getting the money for the project soon and will move forward just as fast as they can.
“I don’t know if y’all have visited our ballfields here in Darlington but we can’t afford to wait to do anything anymore,” Andrews said. “As soon as we can get something going and get it built, we are going to get it built and get them moved.”