Sportsplex, No Soup For You

Posted by Thor on March 26th, 2008 8 Comments

In what was described as an “ambush,” the Albemarle County Planning commission decided that the proposed sportsplex wouldn’t fly.

What is this so-called sportsplex?

Developer Mike Harding wants to build a 94,000 sq ft sports facility on the intersection of 64 and 29. It would house 4 soccer fields, 4 basketball courts, a restaurant and a workout facility. That’s pretty big.

If ACAC isn’t freaking out, between this and the City planned workout facility, then Mr. Harding is. Jeremy Borden from the Daily Progress reports:

“This is an ambush,” [Mr. Harding] said. “This is not a work session.” Harding said that he could accomplish the plan under existing zoning, which would mean the county would not be given acres of land that will complete area hiking trails. Harding said if he were to move the project 75 feet, he would not have a problem with rural area zoning.

“All of a sudden I’m violating rural character,” Harding said. “Let’s get real about this.”

Oh boy oh boy. So does a big facility like this (at the intersection of 250 and 64) destroy the ruralness of Albemarle County? What do you think?

[Read More at the Daily Progress]

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8 Responses to “Sportsplex, No Soup For You”

  1. 26 Mar 2008 at 10:13 am1KCB said:

    Just so it’s clear, they’re talking east of Pantops, not west of town.

  2. 26 Mar 2008 at 10:20 am2Chad Day said:

    where are the softball fields? >:\

  3. 26 Mar 2008 at 10:24 am3Go_Isotopes said:

    Is it 64 and 29 or 64 and 250?

    Left is right and right is wrong?

    /confused

  4. 26 Mar 2008 at 10:28 am4echo said:

    It’s 64 and 250 at Pantops. I think it would be a great idea to put an indoor sprts complex up there. Think about the money that would bring to local shops and restaurants if they had a big youth soccer tournament. I hardly consider Pantops to be a “rural area.” Personally I think the 64/250 intersection is surprisingly underdeveloped for the amount of traffic that passes through there.

  5. 26 Mar 2008 at 11:13 am5Stormy said:

    Chad, hopefully there will be some softball fields at the new county park in Crozet/Old Trail. And then in whatever park they end up building in Biscuit Run as well.

    I thought this for-profit enterprise would be more like the Fairfax or Rockville Sportsplexes in the DC ‘burbs, which I agree we need. Not sure we need more car dealerships, office space or McMansions.

  6. 26 Mar 2008 at 11:23 am6Chad Day said:

    I would love a place for indoor soccer, so I hope this gets built. Pantops is pretty much car dealership central, not sure why another one is needed, but (shrug).

  7. 26 Mar 2008 at 11:28 am7echo said:

    I’ve always been surprised we don’t have an Infinit or Lexus dealership.

  8. 27 Mar 2008 at 6:57 pm8grant said:

    This guy was not very smart. What was he expecting? Honest feedback from Albemarle County? That’s funny.

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