Northside Middle School Soccer Fields

Northside Middle School Petition
157 Cougar Drive, West Columbia, SC 29169

Fact:
The soccer communities of Cayce-West Columbia (C-WC) have faced an uphill battle for more than 20 years when it comes to providing soccer-specific fields for its youth players.

Background:
In a collaborative effort between the Congaree Rapid Soccer Association (CRSA), Lexington School District Two (LSD2), the Pineview/Pine Grove Recreational Soccer Association (P/PG), and concerned citizens, a plan was submitted to the Lexington County Recreation and Aging Commission (LCRAC) in the spring of 2003 to provide a pair of quality soccer fields for youth of all ages at Northside Middle School (NMS) in West Columbia. The facility would feature a pair of 115 (length) x 65 (width) yard fields complete with irrigation, Bermuda turf, and lights. The school district has the land available for development in between NMS and the LCRACs Howard Baseball Park.

LCRAC, under the direction of Executive Director John Jay Criscione, agreed in June of 2003 to do the following: (1) Fine-grade the facility and sprig it; (2) Light the two fields with concrete poles; (3) Install the irrigation system; and (4) Pay the utilities for the lights.

In return, LSD2 would: (1) Maintain the facility i.e., cutting grass, fertilizing, etc.; (2) Adding any existing in-ground improvements you deem necessary in the future; (3) Pay all irrigation costs associated with irrigation, including monthly water bill and wells if needed; and (4) Fence the facility as needed.

Timeline:
Though, nothing was etched in stone, a time table of beginning construction at NMS in January of 2004 was deemed feasible and a surface ready for play in September of 2004 was the consensus. With this plan approved, NMS presented this project to the West Columbia City Council in November of 2003 along with representatives and support from CRSA. The City Council approved this proposal for zoning that affected lighting, as well as the intentions of the facility and those utilizing this resource.

Dilemma:
The NMS project, which was presumed to be underway, has obviously been untouched during this time. In fact, 13 months have passed since we approached LCRAC with an opportunity to provide this service to the C-WC soccer community. On May 13, 2004, three CRSA Board Members attempted to view the engineering plans and drawings at LCRAC, but were only able to view copies that were more than 18 months old dating to 2002 or six months prior to any negotiations initiated by CRSA. As of June 2, 2004, LCRAC was in the process of opening bids in two weeks time and informed us that our submitted plan would not meet their specifications. In other words, it seems that LCRACs plans of 2002 are the status quo and that no reorientation of the fields nor consideration of the size of fields has been given thought. In short, this is a once-a-generation opportunity for the public to do the right thing concerning youth soccer in C-WC. A failure to meet this demand at this time will render another two decades of poor support by our recreational commission and local political leadership.

Solution:
Please support the C-WC soccer community by signing this petition that would enable the youth of all ages to enjoy and compete in the sport of soccer and other recreational endeavors.