Clay County’s new sports complex drew one step closer to reality with the Thursday, Jan. 9 meeting of Hayesville’s Board of Adjustment. The application made by Clay County Government asked for a special use permit to build the new sports complex for Clay County Schools.
County attorney, Merinda Woody, represented the county as Application #BOA4094 was heard under provisions of Section 1432 Special Uses. The 8.5 acres of county-owned land where the complex will be built is located off Anderson Street. Zoning director, George Schaaf, told the group letters had been sent to the four contiguous neighbors and the only reply was from the management of the Clay County Care Center who supports the complex.
Board chairwoman, Sara Smith, reviewed the list of questions on Section 1432 Special Uses and the board determined all criteria were met. The complex will not be detrimental to the neighborhood or public welfare. When Smith asked if ingress and egress into the property is satisfactory, Schaaf said, Ricky Lancaster, Director of Emergency Medical Services had determined the ambulances and fire trucks could enter and leave with no problem. Schaaf has a letter saying with the approval.
One requirement is downcast lighting. The board said it would require all downcast lighting along walkways, parking lots and all other except for the ballfields light- ing. Because the sports complex is a public facility of a
government agency, sign size and placement requirements are exempt, according to Schaaf. In addition to the ballfields, the complex will have 300 parking spaces, a multipurpose gymnasium and all lighting will be LED. Board members had several questions as they studied the drawings for the sports complex. John Mazza asked if an aquatics center had been considered as part of the complex. He said he has seen the ballfields empty on many weekends and questioned the need for more baseball or softball fields. Woody said she did not know. “The baseball field was being displaced because of the new primary school and they needed that quickly,” she said. “Because of Native American artifacts, the 13 acres they had planned to use was decreased to about eight acres.”
Smith added, “We cannot address the need, only whether we will grant the special use.”
Mazza made the motion to approve the special use application with the stipulation downcast lighting be installed except for the ballfield lighting.
In addition to the sports complex vote, Hayesville’s Board of Adjustment voted for a chair and vice-chair and set its 2020 meeting schedule. Smith was unanimously chosen to remain in the role of BOA chair and SandyZimmerman will be vice-chair.
The next meeting will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13.
Meetings will be canceled if no applications or other business need to come before the board.