Jones elected vice chairman of commission
Effingham County commissioners agreed unanimously Tuesday to buy 43 more acres on the west side of Ga. 21, just south of Springfield, for a central recreation complex.
They agreed to buy 15 acres for $150,000 from Shelby L. Rahn and 28 acres for $210,000 from Larry B. Redmond.
The two parcels will be added to 75 acres they purchased for the project from the Bank of Newington on Dec. 17, for $900,000.
The additional purchases push the boundaries of the complex out to Ralph Rahn Road.
Commission Chairman Wendall Kessler said the property will give the county the ability to plan for its recreation needs well into the future and make it easier to re-sell some of the land on the four-lane divided highway for commercial purposes.
He has said the new complex will be a catalyst for growth and is one of the most positive things that has happened in the county in years.
Once the county closes on the two extra parcels, it will be able to finish a 10-year master plan for recreation, Kessler has said.
Kessler said the county might be able to start building ball fields and a gym on the property before a March 2016 vote on another penny sales tax, which would finish paying to build the complex.
The complex will have five baseball and softball fields with batting cages and covered bleachers; one football field; one soccer field; a large playground with features for handicapped children; a press box-restroom-concession building; three picnic pavilions; and a maintenance building. All the fields will be lit.
Recreation Commission Chairman Craig Johnson has said the goal is to create a complex to be enjoyed by Effingham citizens. Attracting tournaments is secondary, he said.
The recreation board has said 70 percent of the people who will use the new complex live in the northern part of the county — in the Guyton, Springfield, Egypt, Shawnee and Clyo areas.
The commission and the recreation board agreed to purchase the land rather than pouring a lot of money into improvements at the existing complex on Ga. 119, which at 19 acres is too small.
The new plan calls for the Ga. 119 complex to be used as practice facilities.
Also on Tuesday, the commissioners unanimously chose Vera Jones as vice chairman. Phil Kieffer was vice chairman last year.