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A Word from I.G. Burton on the Sussex Sport’s Center Foundation

- Private group -
January 26, 2018

 

As a member of the Sussex County Council, I wanted to take a moment to explain the recent vote on the Sussex Sports Center Foundation funding agreement, and why I believe this is an historic opportunity for the betterment of our community.

In recent days, it seems some misunderstanding and, sadly, misinformation has followed the Council’s vote on Jan. 23 to approve a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the non-profit foundation for a $1.5 million loan from the County. This funding, in conjunction with another $2.5 million in private donations and other revenue sources, will help get the proposed complex in Georgetown up and running.

For background, the County was formally presented a proposal in September 2017 to enter into a public-private partnership for a 53-acre sports complex of Sand Hill Road in the Town of Georgetown. Since then, the Council has discussed this during at least four public meetings, received scores of public comments, and slowly and methodically weighed the pros and cons of such a large undertaking. It is indeed a large request, one that required careful consideration.

As recent news reports have recounted, the complex would feature numerous fields for soccer, lacrosse and field hockey, as well as courts for the growing sport of pickleball, and a walking trail. When completed, the complex would be marketed to local sporting clubs, travel athletic groups, and the larger community as a state-of-the-art public facility to benefit Sussex Countians young and old, as well as visitors to our community.

A principal of the Foundation, Mr. Joseph Schell, generously offered to donate land for the complex. Meantime, the County’s investment would help leverage other private and public dollars, while triggering road improvements that are sorely needed along the US Route 9 corridor at Sand Hill and Airport roads. From so many angles, it was and is clear that this concept could have a lasting effect that would benefit so many in our community.

It saddens me that some have taken this opportunity to call into question the motives and the legitimacy of Council’s decision to contribute to such a project, while at the same time cast aspersions that this decision was somehow rushed and done under the cloak of secrecy without any public input. Nothing could be further from the truth, as evidenced by the months of public discussions, dozens of media stories, and hundreds of voices the County heard from through emails, phone calls, petitions, and personal appearances at Council meetings.

While it is true that the sports center would receive a zero-interest loan over the course of 50 years, admittedly generous terms, the County’s investment would come with numerous safeguards, including a lien on the property, and the option to take ownership in 10 years should the County so desire. The County would have a place at the table on the Foundation’s board, and no public dollars would be released until organizers have raised and spent $1.5 million of their own funds. From my perspective, I believe this so-called ‘risk’ of public dollars is not much of a risk at all in the end. With it comes the chance to boost our local economy (youth sports and sports tourism is an estimated $7 billion industry in the United States, per a 2014 CNBC report) and provide a top-notch amenity for the citizens we are elected to serve.

I applaud Joe Schell, Bobby Horsey, and the other civic-minded people involved with the Sussex Sports Center Foundation for taking this important step in helping Sussex County realize a healthier, more active future. It is because of their vision and the partnerships they are building in both the public and private sectors that generations of Sussex Countians will continue to experience our beautiful outdoors and enjoy the quality of life that makes our community so special.

I am proud to be part of that effort, and I will continue to be an advocate for anything that keeps Sussex County an attractive place to live, work, and play.

Sincerely,

 

 

Irwin G. ‘I.G.’ Burton, III

Lewes

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