Carroll County Parks & Recreation

	CARROLL COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION DREAMS BIG, OPENING NEW MULTI-PURPOSE FACILITY By Julie Ivey, Assistant Director Carroll County Parks and Recreation
	What began as a dream over 5 years ago will become reality this November for the Carroll County Parks and Recreation Department in Carrollton. A new 32,000 square foot, $2.9 million dollar facility will open right after Thanksgiving. Just in time for the basketball season to kick-off. When Ken Farmer was hired as director of the department in March of 2001, one of his top priorities was to convince the Carroll Co. Board of Commissioners to place a multi-purpose facility on the upcoming 2003 SPLOST ballot. The main objective in this plan was to provide a facility for the county participants to play basketball without having to rely on school gymnasiums for practices and games and to relocate the administrative office. A double gymnasium as opposed to a single gym was an "absolute must" due to the growth of the county programs. This would allow us more control over start/end times with our basketball program. It would also allow for concessions to be sold during games and practices for much needed revenue. Local schools were not adequate enough, "space-wise", to accommodate the many children participating. The department's hands have also been tied when it comes to scheduling in the schools. Due to after school programs and other extracurricular activities, we were at the school's mercy when it comes to use of their gyms. The relocation of the administrative office was a no-brainer in the plans. The office has been located in the upper level of one of our concession/baseball buildings since the athletic complex was built in 1999. Access to the office has been a hindrance to the public, as well as, the staff. Cramped quarters have been the "item of the day" for several years, with more staff members coming on board making it pretty cozy in the offices. A large multi-purpose room that can be divided into 2 rooms is also a major plus for the new facility. New leisure programs will be offered for the first time in the history of the department due to lack of space previously. Room rentals will also be available with access to a kitchenette for small meal functions and audio-visual equipment for special presentations. This will become a source of revenue generation for years to come. The lack of adequate storage space for all of the athletic equipment is a problem that many departments have. We have addressed that with one very large room totally dedicated to equipment. Each wall will house a different sport. Roll-up doors will allow entrance to the storage area from outside the facility and from the gym area as well. There is also room for more storage space in the ceiling area above the offices if we so choose. Staff members worked many hours to develop conceptual plans that reflected the above-mentioned necessities to present to the Carroll Co. Board of Commissioners. Drawings, along with pictures, from several other departments around the state were studied and gone over with a fine-tooth comb. Conversations with directors and staff members from these departments helped developed the dos and don’ts for the design. We are forever grateful to the department's that helped us out with these plans. After the conceptual plans were developed, they were taken before the Board of Commissioners for approval to be placed on the ballot. The Board approved the plans by a 5 to 2 margin. The opposition was not for placing the facility on the ballot, but due to the location of the facility. After further discussion, the location was agreed upon unanimously. The SPLOST vote was held in November of 2003. The $52.6 million dollar ticket included $10 million for green space acquisition and $6 million for the new recreation facility and expansion of existing facilities. The citizens of Carroll County overwhelmingly supported the SPLOST by a 2 to 1 margin with 4,105 voting for and 2,027 opposing the continuation of the 1-cent SPLOST. Our department is extremely grateful for the support that we have been given by our elected body. Carroll County has always placed a lot of emphasis on recreation. It is evident by the fact that there are 6 full-time recreation departments located in this county. We are also lucky to have the tremendous support from the citizens of Carroll County when it comes to supporting quality recreation for our residents. The continuation of the SPLOST speaks volumes about the importance of our field in their lives.

CARROLL COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION DREAMS BIG, OPENING NEW MULTI-PURPOSE FACILITY