The Kanawha County Commission on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve building a multi-sport complex at Shawnee Park, in Institute.
The meeting and vote followed a three-hour public hearing where 20 Kanawha County residents spoke about the complex, giving ideas and suggestions and airing concerns and complaints.
"I took a bit of a risk coming to Charleston [to start Football Factory], but I saw a lot of potential, and it's paid off for me," said Adam Arthur, owner of Football Factory and director of the Charleston Football Club, at the public hearing. "Charleston is trying to grow, develop and catch up to big cities. I'm excited [about] what [Shawnee Sports Complex] could bring for this community."
Several coaches, players and directors of local recreational sports programs shared their experiences of attending and hosting tournaments - soccer, baseball and lacrosse, among other sports - across the state and nation, and all were vocal about the opportunities this complex could provide to the area.
The complex will cost approximately $15.2 million to build, and will feature four collegiate-size turf baseball/softball fields, six collegiate-size turf soccer/lacrosse fields, several grass practice fields, a community building, playgrounds with shelters and parking lots.
It will be run by an executive director employed by the Kanawha County Commission, as well as a board to oversee operations, according to County Commissioner Ben Salango.
Based on a preliminary feasibility survey, Salango said, the complex could bring in $859,231 annually, and cost $391,900 to operate.
These numbers are not final and do not account for the potential economic impact on the surrounding community, which case studies from other areas have suggested could be in the millions of dollars.
Finalized numbers for economic feasibility are expected to be seen in the next 60 days, Salango said.
The approval vote also came before commissioners saw results of environmental testing of the area by Dow Chemical.
Dow, which currently is facing a lawsuit from West Virginia State University for groundwater contamination in the same area, agreed to pay for gas, soil and groundwater testing at Shawnee Park. Groundwater and soil testing began Monday, according to County Manager Jennifer Herrald, and gas testing is to start next week. Dow, however, has not released an estimated time of completion for the tests.
While the commission still is awaiting the results of these studies, Salango said there will be no plans to break ground on the project until the commission has been able to see the finalized results of the studies.
Kathy Ferguson, an Institute resident, said she feels the vote and approval are premature.
Black people make up a large part of the area's population, Ferguson said, and she feels there was no effort to incorporate the needs of regular community members into the plans or talks for the complex before the vote.
Specifically, Ferguson said, she would have liked to see fields and courts added for sports that already dominate the area's high schools and middle schools - football, but mostly basketball.
"I cannot be in favor of this project when there have been no efforts to accommodate [the needs and interests of area residents]," Ferguson said. "It's almost like you're in a town of vegetarians, and you opened a row of restaurants and the restaurants are steakhouses."
Ferguson also called for the commission to consider holding half the job opportunities at this complex for area residents, as well as using residents for the development and construction.
By approving the complex Tuesday, Salango and County Commission President Kent Carper plan to put in a bid to host a 250-300 team soccer tournament in 2019. Bids for the tournament - which has been held in Barboursville the past two years - are due June 30.
Commissioners said there has not been a traffic study done to deal with the potential influx of visitors, and residents are concerned about the possibility of the area being called under a shelter-in-place order - especially with Dow Chemical right next door.
At an open house for the complex last week, Metro 911 representatives said they had an alert system in place that would notify all people with Sprint, Verizon, AT&T or nTelos as cellphone carriers within a mile of an emergency.
All landlines also would be contacted. The company, however, did not share any evacuation plans, saying that would be local law enforcement's priority.
County officials said they are looking at potential shelters in the area to house people in if anything should happen, however there currently is not a designated shelter in place.
By building the sports complex, an existing golf course would be eliminated. In an attempt to make up for this, the County Commission also approved awarding $100,000 to the Parks and Recreation Commission for maintenance and improvements to the golf course at Big Bend, near Tornado.
Also Tuesday, the commission unanimously approved annexing the subdivision of the Ridges of Rabel Mountain to become a part of South Charleston.
The annexation of the subdivision previously passed unanimously at South Charleston City Council, according to South Charleston Mayor Frank Mullens.
This means South Charleston will take over the sewer system, snow removal, fire and police services and other city functions.
"All the things we do - in my unprejudiced opinion - the best," Mullens said.
The commission also approved a special-funds budget of about $27 million.
Also Tuesday, county officials introduced 18 of their interns for the summer. The interns were a mix of college students and high school graduates who are working in various county departments for the summer.
The commission also approved awarding $25,000 from the "dog fund" - money collected from dog tag fees and other pet-related sources - to the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association.
The commission will next meet at 5 p.m. on June 15.
Reach Caity Coyne at caitlin.coyne@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5100 or follow @caitycoyne on Twitter.