Last year, Stafford County voters overwhelmingly rejected a bond referendum that included a $35 million aquatic and recreational fitness center.
And last night, residents lambasted the Board of Supervisors for trying to include the center in its Capital Improvement Program, a five-year revitalization effort to upgrade county services, equipment and buildings.
So, after a nearly two-hour-long discussion, the board voted 6-1 to defer the entire CIP to a committee that will decide which items should go into a bond referendum, and which items to move forward with. Falmouth District Supervisor George Schwartz cast the dissenting vote.
"I can't abide to this level of commitment without the voice of the citizens," said Supervisor Pete Fields, who represents the George Washington District and who first suggested deferring the CIP.
During the public hearing, some residents were irate that the CIP included the indoor recreation center voted down in the bond referendum last year.
"After a majority of voters said 'no,' now it's just four of you to decide?" asked Stafford resident Dean Fetterolf.
"It was voted down by the public, I don't see how you can add it back in," added another concerned resident.
Bob Woodson, an Aquia Harbour resident and Democratic candidate for supervisor, criticized the projects outlined in the CIP, including the indoor pool.
"The CIP is not a personal slush fund for supervisors to dip into for whatever projects they fancy," Woodson said.
But Board Chairman Jack Cavalier noted that the 80,000-square-foot indoor center was always part of the CIP, and would include other facilities such as basketball courts and a weight room.
"I just think people are misconstruing this tremendously," he said.
The CIP effort is being paid for with a bond worth about $330 million over five years. It leaves about $870,000 of the county's borrowing limit.
Other items included in the CIP was an upgrade to the Smith Lake fields, a new radio communications program for the police, fire and rescue departments and a firefighters training facility.
The Smith Lake fields are in a poor condition of exposed dirt, rocks and patches of dry grass. Through CIP funding, the two fields could be transformed into synthetic turf facilities.
Stafford soccer officials and parents have been complaining about the fields for years. Members of the Stafford Area Soccer Association say several players have been injured because of the deteriorated conditions of county fields. Last month, they pressured board members to renovate the fields. Their concern was spurred by the county's recent proposal to provide land for a baseball complex for the Cal Ripken Foundation, which left some wondering why more couldn't be done for soccer players.
SASA President Reb Benson argued that upgrading the Smith Lake fields with artificial grass would improve safety. "The problem we've got right now is that we're getting people injured out on the current field."
Benson added that county fields have long been "an area that's been woefully behind the power curve in getting things done."
Renovating the Smith Park fields with synthetic turf would cost about $900,000 each. Synthetic fields require less maintenance than natural grass facilities. Their plastic grass blades can be brushed and smoothed back once a week. However, it costs about $10,000 a year to maintain an artificial field, which is about the same cost to groom a natural field, according to Chris Hoppe, the acting director of Parks and Recreation Services.
A synthetic field will ensure consistent quality, Hoppe said. "Every time you go out on that field you're going to have a flat, smooth surface one that's not going to bruise elbows or potentially break bones from a fall," he said.
Supervisors' reactions were mixed. Some board members were concerned that all of the county's 22 fields would eventually require an expensive, synthetic turf upgrade. Schwartz called for more analysis of the current fields.
"What are we talking about without a plan?" he asked. "I would strike this out of the CIP until we have more information."
Garrisonville District Supervisor Mark Dudenhefer was hesitant to act without additional information.
"I look at this as a Band-Aid approach, and I'm doing this without really knowing what I'm spending," he said. "To be honest with you, my conscience is torn before moving forward with where we want to go. We shouldn't move forward without a plan."
But other supervisors said adding the fields to the CIP is a final solution to a long-standing problem.
"I'm actually looking at it as a painful but necessary closure of an old saga at Smith Lake," Fields said. "This is a fix to a bad problem from the past. I don't like having to throw it on there, but I don't see a way of getting out of the Smith Lake problem."
Also on the CIP list was a $27 million radio communication system for the police, fire and rescue departments. The radio system in place now has spotty coverage, which has lead to a breakdown in communication. A recent, independent report analyzing firefighters responding to a May 15 house fire found that there was poor communication at the scene.
There have been "a number of accounts where our first responders' safety was in jeopardy," said Stafford Sheriff Charles Jett. "The problems with our current system did not evolve over night, nor has a solution to this problem as well."
The Fire and Rescue department would also net a new training facility that costs about $4 million.
Other CIP items included courthouse renovations, upgrades to school facilities and new public libraries.
Kafia Hosh: 540/735-1977