WASHINGTON (Map, News) - A plan for a new soccer complex in Silver Spring moved ahead Thursday, despite a racially tinged, years-long battle over the facility.

Montgomery Planning Board members approved about $5.5 million for a new athletic field, paths, playground and landscaping at the North Four Corners Local Park at University Boulevard and Southwood Avenue.

Memos from Parks and Planning staff about the field have cited the county’s growing need for soccer fields as the community becomes more ethnically diverse.

Residents are vowing to persist in their fight against the facility.

Northwood Four Corners Civic Association President Carole Ann Barth said she and others are concerned creating a new field will disrupt a community's open green space, require cutting down trees and ultimately add to traffic congestion in the area.

Parks and planning officials said the plan adopted will provide additional buffers from field activity for some residents and leave a portion of the new park area in its current state, but Barth said the fact any bulldozing and reconfiguration of the land will occur is upsetting.

“Really, what they approved didn’t meet our concerns at all,” Barth said. “It's like no matter which way you arrange the deck chairs on the Titanic, the ship is still going down.”

Montgomery Department of Parks Landscape Architect Heidi Sussmann said in a written statement that the “purpose for this project has always been to provide the best park possible.”

Barth says she plans to reach out to 300 community members who signed a petition opposing the project and ask the County Council to intervene.

During the initial phases of the proposal, some supporters intimated that opponents of the plan were actually concerned about the arrival of the many Hispanics who use the county’s existing fields.

Residents, including some Hispanics, opposed to the plan cited the litter and unruly behavior they observed at other fields.

Construction is not likely to begin until around 2012.

kmiller@dcexaminer.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

11:56 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 29, 2008 re: "City rejects PGA Tour�s bid for fungicide use at Harding"

Examiner Reader said:
Rather than pressuring SF to use dangerous chemicals the PGA ought to be threatening to stop having tournaments at golf courses that don't use recycled water. Harding Park uses Hetch Hetchy water. What a terrible waste.

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9:20 AM MST on Sat., Apr. 26, 2008 re: "Neighborhood parks are making the grade"

Examiner Reader said:
I wish Supervisor Maxwell and others so inclined, would stop with the comments re: the more affluent neighborhoods receiving the bulk of park funding. As an employee of the Recreation and Park Dept. I can tell you that, through the years, a lot of tax dollars have been allocated to the southeast quadrant of the city, more often at the expense of other areas of the city to address such concerns as playground/field maintenance and recreation programming. This is an area of the city that appears to expect certain entitlements, yet cannot uphold their end of the bargain to respect and work with our department to help maintain our resources. It's tiring to constantly hear that this area is so underfunded and how it's the Recreation and Parks Dept's fault for not doing this, or not doing that. When their play structures, buildings and equipment are vandalized and program attendance is low, we still make the necessary repairs and do the community outreach. And this is still our fault? C'

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10:39 AM MST on Sun., Mar. 16, 2008 re: "New proposal for downtown space wins over hearts"

Justine said:
it looks weird that the building is on a high side n the surrounding is low.. why not make it same plane field so it won't look like theres a huge building out of no where???!?!? or face the other building towards ryans park n not block behind JCC...

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3:04 AM MST on Sun., Dec. 2, 2007 re: "Once empty lot, now part of community"

Examiner Reader said:
You should see the beautiful 20,000 Christmas lights on the garden of eden on 2600 block of Eager street. This is the twelve years of lifting the spirit of the children and residents. Another example of what to do with a vacant lot - save lives. The lights are on from 5p.m. to 1.33a.m.

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6:46 PM MST on Fri., Jun. 1, 2007 re: "Future park among largest in county"

Examiner Reader said:
The traffic on woodbine road is bad enough as it is so lets build something to bring in more. The people that were born and raised in woodbine have moved away because of the over crowding and the outsiders coming in. We don't need another yuppie park where people can drive in with their lexus', what about a park were you can drive your tractor in,you know something for the farm people.Lets listen to the people OF WOODBINE not the people thats lived here for a few years.

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7:35 PM MST on Thu., May. 24, 2007 re: "Future of Rash Field�s volleyball park is uncertain"

Ryan said:
Its interesting that with such a large demand for the Volleyball courts, all of the proposals for the new park have less area for volleyball. There is nothing like city officals that don't listen to the people. You got to love it!

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