Worcester Co. Commissioners Vote 4-3 To Acquire Land For Sports Complex

Worcester County Commissioners voted 4-3 Tuesday night to move forward with the purchase of about 95 acres of land in the Berlin area for an outdoor / indoor sports complex.
The vote Tuesday night at Stephen Decatur High School followed a public hearing that lasted nearly three hours. Many spoke in favor of having a complex of multi-use fields that could be used for traveling tournaments as well as by local young people. Others are concerned about traffic, safety, the use of county funding and transparency.
Supporters have said the county would not run the sports complex, but its operations would be turned over to another entity.
$11-million dollars in county bond funds would be used to start the acquisition process.

According to background provided by Worcester County Government:

The main purpose for the sports complex, which is included in the FY23-FY27 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), is to provide county residents and guests with more recreational programming and event opportunities by providing additional field space. Conceptual plans for this project include multi-purpose fields, with restrooms, parking, and concessions for recreation and travel sports. Additional park amenities would include walking trails, ponds, and a playground.

The sports complex is one of many projects in the CIP totaling $200,321,677 that are proposed over the five-year period.