Petition for a reasonable Southmont Park

We want a park and community center designed for Davidson County citizens, not a Sportsplex designed for tourists and tournament teams.

Petition

We, the undersigned residents of Davidson County, respectfully urge the County Commissioners to significantly scale back the proposed $65 million Sportsplex plan to create a park and community center that the Southmont community infrastructure can support.
Changes to the scope of the plan should include removing the 4.5 acre outdoor water park, removing the RV park, and reducing the number of soccer and baseball fields, and parking spaces.
The right-sized community center and park could include, for example, more playground equipment and walking paths or trails, a multi-purpose building for use as a community center (potentially with basketball courts and an aquatics center), picnic shelters, disc golf course(s), pickleball/tennis courts, and a dog park area.
These adjustment will significantly reduce project costs (allowing reinvestment of capital in other important projects across Davidson County), minimize environmental and traffic impacts, and better align the project with the county's infrastructure and recreational needs while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

If you need info on the initial county proposal for the Sportsplex, click here

A sample of the comments from petition signers

It's too far off the beaten path; it should be moved to an area easy to find!

Railroading this complex into a small community that is not equipped to handle anything close to this size will forever change this area for the worse and create a boondoggle that is unlikely to be anywhere close to self funding increasing the future tax burden of Davidson County residents.

There are many other things that need attention and the use of this money here is not acceptable. These are my tax dollars and I do not agree with their usage here or many of the commissioners comments here recently.

We have much more pressing needs than a Sportsplex. Please modify the plan.

I do not want Yates sports complex in my neighborhood

Davidson county cannot handle the taxes that it would take to build this park. We also need more help with the roads that have potholes all over our county. It's embarrassing to our county and you can instantly tell the difference as soon as you drive into our county. Somebody needs to be accountable for seeing that our gas taxes get used for what it was intended for….our roads but it's not happening. They've been patched to death but our roads are still so bumpy!! Our schools need much help too. There is much more pressing needs in our communities. It should be tabled until fiscal responsibility is handled.

I like the idea of a smaller size community park. It is more in keeping with the 2 lane access roads, sewer system, and lack of nearby motels/hotels and restaurants which would be needed for large crowds. I also like the idea of keeping as many trees as possible in beautiful Southmont.

Such a waist without the proper infrastructure..

Do not agree with the sportsplex at all but a scaled down version is better than nothing.

Also please remove all plans for accessing the proposed park through the Riverwood neighborhood.

There are too many other more pressing needs in Davidson County. The 4 Commissioners voting for this have not done their due diligence and are just bulldozing it through without doing the due diligence that you and I as citizens would have to do.

I feel there is no need for such a large park this size in our small community.
Thanks

I feel this small community doesn't need nor will we benefit from such a large facility aka complex.
Thank You

The community should have been made more aware of the plan for this and it really should have been out out for a vote from residents! The Commissioners are too quick to bust up laid back residential areas! Give other communities a similar project to spread the love if this is So Wonderful! You shouldn't be able to do something this size around a watershed area!

We need something for everyone. not for visitors or so expensive.

Stop trying to ruin every small town in NC by turning it into a city. Davidson Co doesn't want to be a city!

WE NEED A NICE PARK THAT WILL BENEFIT THE WHOLE COUNTY. EVEN SPECIAL NEED/ AUSTITIC KIDS.

We do not need to waste taxpayers on this, put the money to good use and update our schools, raise salaries for first responders. Adding the sports complex will cause severe congestion on our roads .

**Shade over the playground area would be ideal! Thanks!

We want a Community Center where we ALL can enjoy it. Shame on the commissioners who voted Yes to putting the Sports Complex vote through. Help our schools please and our police and fire fighters with the money available.

Not in favor of sports complex. Especially one not for benefit of Davidson County citizens.

The proposed plan is way over sized for this community & will only cause numerous problems in the future.

Commissioners should sit in NDHS gym during a class or volleyball game - then they would know where the money should be spent-on schools

By reducing this sportsplex it will reflect that it puts our residents first and will allow you to reallocate the additional funds to improve our public schools.

Don't want it at all! Fix jail!

MOVE IT TO BELMONT RD.

Really don't even need it, put money in our schools and public safety

MAKE THIS A PARK EVERYONE CAN ENJOY ALL OF THE TIME...EXAMPLE DAN NICHOLAS PARK IN SALISBURY.

IT IS NOT A COMMUNITY PARK AS IS. STOP LYING TO THE PEOPLE OF DAVIDSON COUNTY!

The commissioners did this after they lost getting it on the ballot in 2017. Trying to screw citizens. Lord Yates thinks he runs DC.

Would love to see a 200' tree buffer along areas adjacent to residential streets, a meeting room for community groups, an equipped fitness room, trees providing shade along the walking trail, age appropriate playgrounds with adaptive equipment for disabled children (perhaps separate six and under and seven and older play areas), and night sky protection for all lighting. There should be priority hours and reduced/no fees for Southmont residents. All plans should include a commitment to environmentally friendly fertilizer and chemicals to protect neighbors and the lake from harmful run-off. Changes to area roads should include bike lanes. Finally, County Commissioners should ensure that all plans are coordinated with Southmont residents.

A smaller community center for Davidson County for less money is needed. Not over spending.

Scrap the whole project and give raises to deputies, fire fighters, and EMS personnel, plus set aside funding for county infrastructure needs. Commissioners need to IMMEDIATELY address the issue of over-development of the entire county since they have not paid any attention to the petitions of residents thus far.

I agree with the downsizing of this unwanted complex.

No Sports Complex! To much traffic for our little Southmont community!

This small community can not support a project of this size or all the things that will follow. Please consider the people that live here and that it will effect

We don't need all of the traffic the sports conplex would bring to this area.

Too expensive. Cut 2/3 out!

Definitely do NOT want the traffic and populous and noise. I moved here from Mooresville specifically to get away from all the growth. Not to mention that this butts uo against my property line.

I don't want anything built in Southmont. We already ballfields and walking paths that need to be kept up or renovated. Southmont is just fine the way it is. Use the money somewhere else or build the complex somewhere else.

Please commissioners, do the right thing! Listen to the people of this county.

Too much for Southmont. Make it smaller

The proposed size of this will be untenable for the Southmont community

Please scale it back to a res suze

Walking trl, dog park, picnic area, playground, Small community center

Spend the $$ at schools. Some don't even have decent trash cans in the girls bathroom!!!!

This is a rural/agricultural/residential small unincorporated town that has no accommodations for out of town guests, very limited small cafes, narrow roadways and no infrastructure to support a giant sports complex. Emergency services will be curtailed to the immediate area with the gridlock that is inevitable. EMS response time, already too slow, will only get worse if NC Highway 8 south is backed up. There are no guarantees that the sports complex that has been proposed will bring in the sports enthusiasts that have been predicted and if and when it fails, the taxpayers will be left paying the bill when our taxes should be used for the essential services that need upgrading i.e. the schools and the county jail among others.

A scaled back version would better suit the community as the commissioners keep indicating that this is for the community.

Not happy about this project at all!

Build a park the preserves the feel of the community.

I vote no park at all.

Police and teachers need better pay.

This money can be spent on schools or something to benefit the kids in Davidson co.

The sports plex is going to be directly across the street from my home. We bought this property because we loved the wooded area and small town feel. With the addition of the sports plex at the proposed size, this will be taken away.

I feel the proposed complex would be detrimental to Southmont.

I support community park not a sportscomplex.

I'm begging you to listen to the people!

Do not want this complex to be built at all. Go elsewhere.

No need for a sports complex. Downsize & use the $ for school maintenance & teacher & law enforcement pay raises.

Strongly support scaling down to a community park, designed for the citizens of this county.

A smaller footprint is a realistic compromise that should be strongly considered and something I think the tax payers can get behind

I would, personally, prefer to scale it back further than the petition suggests.

Stop wasting money and listen to the citizens you are supposed to represent.

This sounds more like what Southmont could use and enjoy.

Don't ruin our small community

I would love a community center but NOT a sportsplex. This design is too large for the small area of Southmont.

We do not need this outrageous plan to go through and be built in this small community

The reduction of this project would greatly fit the community of Southmount and surrounding areas. I can see this as a benefit to DC communities.