Broadlands Recreation Center

Anyone know if this made it to the CIP for the 2005 county budget? It's not listed in their "highlights" so I'm guessing they either took the YMCA's offer or "postponed" it.

--Joy

 

Don't hold your breath waiting for the county to fund it. I believe the Board os Supervisors was voting on the YMCA proposal either this past week or next week.
I did notice the Dulles District Supervisor, Steve Snow, wanted funding to be allocated for a South Riding Rec Center.

 

I am very concerned about Mr. Snow's ability to represent all of Dulles district. It is clear from his pbublic statements that his priority is to get as much as he can for South Riding.

We all need to put pressure on the Board to either approve the YMCA proposal or to fund a county run facility. Our kids need more places for positive activities.

 

I agree...How do I voice my support for the Broadlands YMCA?

 

Nice post Cliff, just thought I'd highlight it, as a few take you as a "one trick pony". Thanks for supporting the community interests.

 

Since noone knew, I'll have to find out from the Board. In case you're interested, I did find out the issue was discussed at the 4/6 meeting when the budget was discussed. Here is the link to the agenda item: http://inetdocs.loudoun.gov/bos/doc...040604_/item12apotentia/office2k/office2k.htm

I would support the county funding it if it really happened, since the facility sounds nicer (indoor leisure pool being the big difference as opposed to just an indoor lap pool). However, if it means getting it done or postponing it more, I'd say take the YMCA. I'll let you know if I find out what they decided.

--Joy

 

Ok. I got a response from Steve Snow that "The item was placed on the consent agenda and passed unanimously." I'm assuming this to mean that the YMCA Proposal was accepted.

I looked back at the 2004 budget, since the proposed 2005 budget showed that the county facility was going to be bigger/better. Back then, it was going to be a smaller facility (25000 SF) than the YMCA (35000 SF). So, that's good news. Except bad news that we COULD have gotten the $25M center (75000 SF)... The money was going to come from a bond referendum this November.

Looking back and forward again, the Dulles South Rec Center in FY 2004 was also a 25000 SF center to be built in 2008. Ours was to be built in 2006 and open in 2008. In the current budget, Dulles South is now included as a "renovation" (of the Arcola center) and it's just like the county one that was also proposed in Broadlands (75000 SF). And it's to be built in 2006. The money is coming from a bond referendum this November. Since it's included in the other renovations, I'm assuming it'll be listed with the others as one on the ballot.

So, to sum up, the county is letting our proferred Rec Center become a YMCA and giving the money they would have used for ours to Dulles South (aka South Riding). Wonder how that happened?


--Joy

 

Well, we could stick it back to Mr. Snow and help defeat the bond referendum. I would be up for that fight.

 

This is disturbing. I am getting very concerned we do not have a viable voice in Leesburg from our end of the Dulles District.

First the rumor of Snow pushing for the YMCA to move to South Riding, then the move to have a County funded sportsplex for South Riding, and also his subversive efforts to move the hospital to South Riding.

Believe me, please, I am not trying to make this a hospital post. Regardless if you are for or against the hospital, it could be said, Snow is taking advantage of our discourse on the hospital issue, and saying, hey, I'll support the anti hospital movement in Broadlands, and then get what I really want, which is a hospital on my end of the County/District.

It just seems to me, whatever the service, enhancement or County resource requested from the Dulles District Supervisor it seems to be for the benefit or interest of South Riding, and nothing for Ashburn/Broadlands.

Right now I don't like the trend, it's early to make conclusions, but I sure would like some interest brought this way from our Supervisor.

 

Joy, do I understand you correctly? We would have had our own private Broadlands rec center, but now we're getting a YMCA? Personally I would have rather had the rec center. I always wondered why we didn't have a sports complex like Ashburn. Who's decision was a Y over a Broadlands Rec center?

I don't think the reallocation of funding is anything sinister though. If the money was budgeted for recreation, we're getting a YMCA to cover that. The money goes back to the county.

 

cooperstar No we would not have our own private Broadlands rec center what we would have is a facility similar to Ida Lee. Residents of all of Leesburg get priority enrollment for classes there and if the county builds on the back side of Broadlands then all of Ashburn would get the same priority to that facility. However just like Ida Lee the facility would be open to the public. Anybody who was willing to pay could come use the faclity. What the YMCA is proposing is doing basically the same thing except Ashburn would not necessarilty get priority in registering it would just be open to all of loudoun. I think it is great as the cost for most of the programs are comperable or in some cases lower plus it brings a teen center right to our back door which we would not get in a county facility.

 

joy-
Do not make the assumption that a successful bond referendum means the facility will be built. The bond referendum for the rec facility at Claude Moore park was approved two years ago, but the county still has not built it. Why? Because the county does not want the debt load, even if the voters approve of it. If the Broadlands rec facility was to be built by the county and a bond referendum was approved, it most likely would not be built until serveral years after the Claude Moore facility.

 

OK bottom line....Are we getting a YMCA??

 

Haven't heard a definite "yes", but I would guess it's almost a certainty.

 

Just an update. I contacted the county staff member in charge of the YMCA proposal, Tina Borger. Here's the lowdown:

The Board voted to consider the proposal. Now, they have to open it up to competing proposals. The deadline is 6/14 for those to come in. Staff will review the proposals, and then recommend to the Board which ones they should request detailed proposals from. The detailed proposals get reviewed, and then the Staff gives a recommendation to the Board on whether to accept the public-private partnership as opposed to a solely county-funded rec center. They don't expect this last approval step until the fall.

The bond funds for the county-funded rec center was taken off the referendum for Nov. 2004.

So, from what I can tell, if we don't get a YMCA, the County one would be delayed at least a year, since there would be no funding for it in the budget (kudos to Cliff on calling that).

I'd say we all support the YMCA at this point!!

Oh yeah, one more note, the reason I went to the staff member is that I couldn't get any information that made sense from Mr. Snow. Lesson learned.

--Joy