The Warren Sentinel

Article date: February 12, 2004

Town and County move forward on Soccerplex

By Kip Ritenour 

The proposed Skyline Soccerplex, to be located along Kerfoot Avenue on a 32-acre portion of the Avtex Superfund Site, will become a reality in the coming months– but on a scaled down version.

The United States Soccer Foundation approached the county in 1999 with an offer to build a state-of-the-art soccer complex on the site.  But funding and the USSF’s commitment was waned in the past few years and the project has bogged down.

Tired of playing the waiting game with the USSF, Warren County and Front Royal has decided to take the initiative and move ahead with the project, starting with the construction of two regulation sized soccer fields in the coming months.

Warren County Administrator Doug Stanley said the property would have the potential for four to six soccer fields and added, “The long term goal is to construct the facility as originally designed.”

The fields will be constructed in conformance with the Skyline Soccerplex plans that were prepared by Painter-Lewis PLC, a Winchester based engineering firm.

FMC Corporation has committed up to $150,000 in resources to clear the site and bring the fields to final grade.  Stanley noted that the USSF is still committed to $120,000 for the project.

The initial phase of construction, which includes clearing the land and initial grading, should be completed in three to five months.

Stanley estimates that at least two of the fields will be ready for play by the spring of 2005.

The county is committing $225,000 to the project and the town $112,878.

The county and the town have kicked in an additional $25,000 and $12,878 respectively to help kick start the project.

Local government officials have expressed a growing annoyance with the USSF and its lack of a firm commitment to get the soccer fields built.

“The soccer federation took advantage of us,” said Front Royal Town Councilman Fred Foster at a recent work session when the council decided to up its ante for the fields.  “We want to help the kids.  We need to put this matter behind us and be over with it.”      

Councilman Joseph McDaniel admitted it was a shame that the youth of the area have had to wait for the much-needed fields that were promised by the USSF.

“We were suckers,” McDaniel said.  “It’s a shame the youth of this community have had to suffer.  Let’s give the $12,878 and build the fields.”

Councilman Eugene Tewalt also agreed with kicking in the additional funds, but added, “I think we were snookered.  But [the town shouldn’t] give the money until the soccer fields are being built.  I want to see some progress.”

Stanley said the fields will help alleviate the shortage of fields for youth soccer participants, whose numbers have grown to over 500 per season.