Steubenville park board resurrects Miracle Field plans
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STEUBENVILLE -- A Miracle Field is back on the front-burner in Steubenville, though if it happens it's going to look different than its sponsors originally envisioned.
For starters, Urban Frontier has scrapped plans to use the North End field -- not because of the fierce opposition it generated at a public meeting earlier this year, but because site elevation variations "would have required major earth-moving, it would have eaten up most of the budget," Urban Frontier's Tom Way said.
Instead, they've proposed moving it to Belleview Park.
"In spite of everything else that occurred, that North End location just wasn't conducive to this type of park," Way explained to board members Wednesday. "We're not just talking about grading, we're talking about major earth work. It got really complicated."
Way said he can "confidently say" Belleview makes more sense, telling the board that once he knows it's a go, he'll get started on fundraising.
"I'll continue to gather funding and backing," Way said. "Right now, what I really need from the board is a place to call home. What I'm looking for from the board is for you to approve inclusion of this park inside Belleview Park. Approval doesn't mean we'll start digging dirt, we still have to meet with the city."
But the board balked at making a site selection without first giving residents a say.
"I don't see a problem about this, but I don't think we should make a decision until it can be publicly talked about and people can voice their opinion," Chairman Ken Peterson said. "I'm not comfortable making a decision tonight without posting that 'this is what we're looking at,' we don't want it to look like we're doing something quickly and hastily. In January, we can vote on whether it's the best option or not ... anybody who wants to can have a chance to say 'yay' or 'nay,' it gives everyone an opportunity to (speak)."
Way produced concept drawings prepared by three companies showing what the project could look like, all of them playing off the group's theme, "The Greatest Show, a place where people with disabilities, people without disabilities, coming together in the same space, being engaged."
But Peterson also was hesitant to choose a supplier, saying he'd much rather leave that decision to Parks and Recreation Director Lori Fetherolf. When pressed, Fetherolf said it "comes down to money, how much accessibility there'll be to all of it and how much equipment we can get in the space."
"The main difference actually has to do with getting the biggest bang for our buck," she said, adding DWA "clearly set itself apart from the rest and came in slightly under budget."
Fetherolf pointed out before anything is finalized, the proposal will go to council for consideration.
"This is a reflection of the city," Way added. "I firmly believe this is a statement, because it's targeting 15,000 individuals in the tri-county area who have been diagnosed with some form of intellectual disability. There's nowhere in the tri-county area (now) where these individuals can be engaged in recreational activities. It's a big statement for the city, and the city has to be proud and happy something like this is going on. It starts here."
Board member Kelly Herrmann said she's "a fan of this project, but what Ken said was very wise."
"This wasn't originally on the (horizon)," she said. "We put it on and some people may think we're trying to do something sneaky (even though we're not). We don't ever want to give people that impression."