The grass soon could be greener for Auburn if the City Council votes to approve the purchase of 160 acres of recreational space from the Auburn City Board of Education.
The land is part of a bigger
At their regular meeting Tuesday night, the City Council discussed a contract to buy the remaining land from the school board for close to $4 million.
If purchased, the land would be incorporated as part of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan being developed by the city. Parks and Recreation Director Rebecca Richardson said the plan should be completed by late April or early May.
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The primary use of the land, City Manager Charlie Duggan said, would likely be a large multi-purpose field, similar to the University’s intramural fields, which local teams could use for games or practice.
The plot includes a lake that Duggan said could be a central feature for scenic walking trails. He also said there was enough space for a recreation center if the Parks and Recreation Department wanted to include one in their master plan.
Duggan said the city intends to connect Richland Road with Martin Luther King Drive to the south with a road that passes through the land.
Ward 3 City Councilwoman Beth Witten and Ward 5 Councilwoman Lynda Tremaine said they aren’t opposed to the purchase but would like to learn more about the land before they vote on the multimillion-dollar contract.
"The school board closed on this property in July," Witten said. "And this is the first time this body, collectively, has discussed this, and that's really where my concern lies."
Ward 2 City Councilman Ron Anders said he understood their issues with the
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“Is four million dollars a lot of money?” he continued. “You’re dadgum right it’s a lot of money ... but it’s also an opportunity to identify a piece that we could build out our parks and rec needs for our citizens, our children [and] their parents for years and years and years to come.”
The Council agreed to table the vote on the purchase until their next meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 21.
In the meantime, Anders and Mayor Bill Ham suggested the council take a “field trip” out to the plot to see it for themselves.
“Get your hiking boots on,” Ham quipped.
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