Here’s how Fort Mill plans to upgrade Elisha Park, Banks Athletic Park and more.
When Fort Mill officials closed their parks two months ago due to COVID-19, they didn’t close their eyes to recreation needs that would await reopening.
At its May 11 meeting Fort Mill Town Council voted on several park upgrades and hashed out plans for yet others. Those votes involve an amphitheater, ballfields, safety features.
Here are some improvements well on the way, and others that could still be years into the future:
Elisha Park
Council approved a nearly $3.3 million construction bid for improvements at Walter Elisha Park downtown. For years known as the walking trail park for the large loop along the perimeter of what once was a town mill site, Elisha Park has grown in use from children using the playground to youth sports teams holding practice. It’s also the annual site of the largest gathering in town, the South Carolina Strawberry Festival.
The town picked Simon & Watson Construction, based in Fort Mill.
“If at all possible and when all criteria is met, I love it when we’re able to hire local,” said Mayor Guynn Savage.
The project will include an amphitheater, restrooms, parking and some lighting upgrades. It will have a 300-day schedule, which barring delay would allow full use of the park by next year’s Strawberry Festival the first weekend in May.
“We anticipate the project being completed in April 2021,” said Davy Broom, town manager.
Banks Athletic Park
Council also voted May 11 to put the Banks Athletic Park project out for construction bid. The planned sports park on property donated through the development of Waterside at the Catawba will have two larger baseball fields and two softball or youth baseball fields.
The Waterside subdivision dates back to 2013. The town and developer agreed to set aside the 25 acres for what will be Banks Athletic Park, as part approvals for more than 1,000 new residences. The Banks Athletic Park site became a key piece of town recreation plans in light of statements by then owners of the former Leroy Springs Recreation Complex — now Fort Mill YMCA at the Complex — not to keep that site going past 2020.
In fall 2017 the town received the complex property by donation from Leroy Springs Company. The company kept the ballfield sites for likely redevelopment. COVID-19 postponements aside, the town recreation program still uses those fields for youth and summer adult programs.
“There are three ballfields there that are slated to go away,” Broom said.
Savage recognized the company and family that provided youth sports for generations in town before there was a municipal department, and still allows use as the town prepares for its future.
“I for one want us to move forward as quickly as possible,” Savage said. “I think we’ve known the graciousness of the Leroy Springs Company and the Close family in allowing us to extend the use of the fields that at one point in time were slated even earlier to go away.”
Banks Athletic Park, at Banks Road and Sparkling Brook Parkway not far from the Catawba River, will have a scoring tower and restrooms.
“That would include a basketball court, a large picnic shelter and a small playground,” Broom said.
Plans have been ongoing for several years. A project timeline will be available by next month’s council meeting. There are still discussions like whether to have on-street overflow or other parking options.
“We just want to be sure the road isn’t blocked because of people having to park on the road,” said Councilwoman Lisa Cook.
Largely, though, project details are set.
“We’re ready to go,” Broom said. “We’re ready to get this project out for bid.”
Community center, tennis upgrades
Last winter, upgrades came at the former Banks Street Gym now known as Fort Mill Community Center.
“There was a new parking lot added,” Broom said. “It is a very nice parking lot, but there is a grade change.”
Broom estimates it’s about a 12-foot drop from the golf course property right beside the Fort Mill Community Center, to the center itself. Council approved $5,800 plans to put a guard rail between the two. A neighboring property owner will add decorative fencing once the guard rail is installed.
Council also heard updates on tennis courts at Fort Mill YMCA at the Complex.
“In their current state, they are a safety hazard,” Broom said. “Pretty much in disarray.”
Savage is a tennis program fan, and believes there is potential in providing quality courts. There aren’t public courts elsewhere in town.
“The tennis courts are indeed in great disrepair,” she said. “We have a very active tennis program for the youth. We have a tennis pro out there. It’s a great program.”
The issue the town faces is whether to resurface given several variables. There is discussion of adding courts, realigning them or adding a restroom and picnic shelter. There’s discussion on whether to tackle tennis upgrade alone or as part of larger work at the complex, which could include new gym and entrance space.
“I definitely have a hard time until I know the costs.”
Park property expansion
Cook would like to see at least initial drawings of what could come at existing sites. The town owns homes beside Dobys Bridge Park. There’s been a rendering circulated and discussion of more gym space at the complex, and upgrades at the community center.
“All of this is in an effort for us to start getting some cost estimates,” Cook said. “It’s not detailed architectural drawings. It’s more conceptual.”
The issue is, a separate town list of capital needs stretched to 72 items. Some of the recreation projects could be far enough into the future, Savage said, that she doesn’t want to get them now only to have to replace them in several years.
“A couple of them were pretty far out,” Savage said of rec projects, “as far as three to five years.”
Those estimates came before coronavirus arrived. COVID-19 has wide-ranging economic impacts throughtout the area from job loss to county estimates of severely reduced tax revenue. Savage said right now the town doesn’t have a full picture of what coronavirus will mean to its bottom line.
“That has reoriented our thought process a hair, and certainly our check book has not seen the reflection of what might occur from that,” she said.
One advantage the town has in recreation funding involves impact fees. Every new home or apartment built in town comes with an impact fee for recreation. Still, each new residence all brings more residents which adds to recreation needs. And even at a full non-coronavirus-impacted economy, impact fee revenue only pays for a portion of large capital projects.
The site likeliest to see expansion soon is Dobys Bridge Park. The residential properties owned by the town could become parking, traffic flow, athletic field or playground space. There’s conversation on adjusting the park entrance and putting a new multipurpose field at the park.
The town also eyes Dobys Bridge Park as the best option to date for a park with all-inclusive features.
“Council in the past has approved making space somewhere at one of our facilities for this, and we have not found a space at this time,” Cook said. “We think there may be an opportunity to expand on a current playground here.”
The orientation of new gym space and possible relocation of the entrance at the complex are considerations. For town leaders, there is a balance to hit identifying or planning for recreation needs and making solid financial decisions.
“Getting drawings doesn’t bother me at all,” Savage said, “but making up our mind what we want drawn, does.”
This story was originally published May 18, 2020 at 12:05 PM.
