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Sports complex win-win; please be alert
With athletic fields for youth sports teams in short supply in Loudoun County, the Board of Supervisors should approve a developer's request to build a large multifield sports complex in Ashburn.
What's being considered is a proposal by Play to Win LLC for a 40-acre complex along Belmont Ridge Road south of Route 7 that would feature six outdoor fields, four of which would have artificial turf. The complex also would have three fields and several multipurpose courts housed in a 225,000-square-foot building. A restaurant, swimming academy and offices also are planned.
The board is set to rule Sept. 2 on several land-use applications the developer has filed with the county regarding its plans. If the board rejects the applications, Play to Win still can move forward with its sports complex in Ashburn but would need to buy additional land to do so, which is not a sure thing.
By endorsing the proposal, the board would show that it is keeping its promise to be more business friendly and it is committed to addressing the county’s well-documented field-shortage problem.
Last winter, Troy Cromwell, president of the 32-team Ashburn Youth Football League, told the Times-Mirror that field shortages and the poor conditions of the few fields that are available (mostly at elementary and middle schools) topped the list of coaches’ grievances. Meanwhile, Beckwith Bolle, president of the Ashburn Soccer Club, recently told the Times-Mirror that her league regularly turns children away because the inadequate number of fields prevents the league from expanding.
Yes, the facility will further clog narrow Belmont Ridge Road, and noise from the fields could be an issue for some residents, but hopefully these issues can be worked out.
With child and teen obesity rates in the nation at all-time highs, more space for kids to play sports is not a luxury but a necessity.
Supervisors should welcome this new business with open arms by approving the Play to Win proposal. Besides, it would mean one less thing the county would have to pay for.
KIDS, SCHOOL BUSES AND YOU
On Sept. 2, school begins for Loudoun County students. Motorists should slow down and be alert.
Yellow flashing lights indicate the school bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate the bus has stopped and children are getting on and off. According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, you must stop your vehicle "when approaching from any direction on a public or private road a stopped school bus with flashing red lights and extended stop sign."
It is essential that adults and children know and obey traffic safety rules.
And, parents, please tell your kids to use common sense and never walk behind a school bus.
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