The new sportsplex, port-a-potties, churches, and annexation were some of the topics of discussion Monday night at the Aberdeen Town Board meeting.
The town officially voted to name the new sportsplex the “Aberdeen Ransdell Sportsplex.”
The project, being built on Highway 15-501, will have six athletic fields along with restrooms and concessions. The 30-acre site includes 15 acres of land donated by the Ransdell family.
According to Aberdeen Town Manager Paul Sabiston, “It was the family’s desire for the park to carry the name in honor of their father,” Sylvester, who died in January 2020, at the age of 91.
The entrance roadway will be named Ransdell Way and was declared a public road. The town council also authorized the collection of informal bids to improve the entrance to the facility. The town hopes to begin the formal bid process in September this year.
In other business, Parks & Recreation Director Adam Crocker reported Ray’s Mill Park’s port-a-potties have become a problem. Crocker told the council several citizens had complained about the facility.
Upon contacting the provider, he was informed that the service had been canceled in May. According to Crocker, there was no information on who canceled the service.
The town pays several thousand dollars a year for the port-a-potties. According to Crocker, if they were left to fester for several months with no complaints, they are probably unnecessary. “We don’t want to get into the Porta-John business,” he added.
Several board members asked about providing permanent restrooms. Mayor Robert Farrell pointed out that if they provide bathrooms at one park, they will need to provide them at all of the town’s seven parks, and it becomes a matter of who will clean and lock them up.
The board voted to remove the port-a-potties and may revisit the idea of permanent facilities at a later date.
In other business, Planning Director Justin Westbrook said Aberdeen currently does not allow enough parking for churches and religious institutions.
He referred to a request from the Aberdeen First Baptist Church to change the parking allowance for churches.
Aberdeen currently allows one parking spot per six members based on chairs in the main assembly area. Surrounding communities vary between one per three to one per six.
Worship houses like mosques that do not use chairs have a slightly different standard. The change, which the council approved, only affects religious institutions.
The Town of Aberdeen also grew by some 65 acres as there was no opposition to the voluntary annexation of property located in the extraterritorial jurisdiction north of Highway 211 and east of Collinswood Drive. Collinswood Partner, LLC, submitted the request.
The next meeting of the Aberdeen Town Council is on September 12 at 6 p.m.
Feature photo: Rendering of Aberdeen Ransdell Sportsplex that is currently under construction on Highway 15-501 courtesy of the Town of Aberdeen.
~Written by Sandhills Sentinel Reporter Chris Prentice. Contact him at [email protected].
