* Sully District Park Authority representative Hal Strickland expects the Centreville Farms-area complex of 10 fields to be ready by 2004; the seven fields in E.C. Lawrence Park, hopefully by 2004 and the Quinn property 12-field complex, by 2006. These 29 fields, plus the 38 practice fields, add up to a whopping 57 new fields for local youth.
* As for transportation, the future four-laned Old Lee Road will provide access from the east to Quinn, Stephens and Hunter, and the future four-laned Pleasant Valley Road (between Route 50 and Route 29) will provide north/south access. The existing four-laned Stone, Braddock, Stonecroft and Willard roads also lead to these sites.
* With the proximity of these three parcels to the future rec center and the golf course in Richard W. Jones Park — plus trails uniting them all — the plans would provide residents with a diversity of recreation opportunities all in one area. But, as always, everything costs money.
"The Park Authority got approval last year from the Board of Supervisors for a November 2002, $20 million park-bond referendum for land acquisition throughout the county," said Strickland. "We made great strides in this last referendum to acquire additional land for both passive and active use. So the 2002 bond would give us the opportunity to continue acquiring more land for future active use, such as more fields."
"There's no question the level of commitment it's going to take," said Supervisor Michael R. Frey (R-Sully). "With the number of kids that are here, we have to do something on a grand scale."
<tgl> — BONNIE HOBBS