New Soccer Fields Coming to Countryside

CountrysideNew soccer fields are coming to Roanoke’s Countryside neighborhood after City Council unanimously approved the proposal at Tuesday night’s meeting.

Council decided to lease two parcels to the Roanoke Valley Youth Soccer Club for 10 years. The club is required to build six natural-turf fields within three years. City Council Manager Chris Morrill said the lease is for $100/year and that it will take more than $930,000 to build the soccer fields. In return, the city will also be able to use the fields for its programs.

If the club adds lighting or builds an artificial-turf field, the lease can be extended for up to 40 years.

“This is a milestone for city recreation here,” Morrill said. “We knew when we did the Countryside master plan that there’s a real deficit in the Northwest area in horizontal fields. And we have a citywide deficit of 12 to 14 fields. We have so many children and adults that want to be engaged in sports, that we need more facilities.”

He also said that there isn’t any place regionally to host soccer tournaments and this will help fulfill that need.

“While members of City Council were considering the master plan, maintaining green space was an important component of that plan – and with the nearby mall and hotels, you really have all the ingredients for first class amenities for a neighborhood there.”

He says projects like this in other cities helps attract families to the area. Morrill said the soccer fields would add to the playground already in place and an extension of the Greenway with a fitness trail. “It’s a great public, private, non-profit partnership.”

City Council members also sang the praises of the project. Sherman Lea said, “This has been a long time coming. I am enthused about the potential that this is going to have in our community. It’s important to us that the community feels good about what we’re doing.”

– Beverly Amsler

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