Currituck recreation facility plan in the works

MAPLE, N.C.

Currituck County plans to team with the YMCA of South Hampton Roads to build a facility in Maple that would feature a separate senior center and an area for public recreation.

But questions have come up over use of public money, cost of services and the viability of the project in a sparsely populated area.

Boards for both organizations could agree on a contract as early as next month, and construction may start in six months, said Dan Scanlon, Currituck County manager.

Currituck has set aside $15 million toward construction, with plans to locate the structure near the new cooperative extension building and the airport. The YMCA would charge monthly memberships to run its part, while the building would include separate facilities for a senior center and public recreation.

The YMCA would design and build the facility for an estimated $12 million, Scanlon said. Estimates for a center designed and built by the county were about $24 million.

The YMCA knows how to run a fitness center and has the buying power to replace equipment regularly, he said. Operation costs could be as high as $4 million annually, Scanlon said. "We don't have the experience and we don't have the staff," he said.

Seniors are concerned about paying for use of the swimming pool and equipment, such as billiard tables and exercise machines, said Bill Freethy, chairman of the Currituck Senior Citizens Advisory Board.

"We have seniors who don't have a lot of money," he said. "We'd like to know for sure what's going to be what. They've got to do it right, or why do it?"

The new senior center would have at least what the current senior center has, Scanlon said.

The YMCA offers scholarships for low-income families with monthly memberships as low as $15 per month, said Billy George, chief operating officer for the YMCA of South Hampton Roads.

"We will work with you," he said.

David Palmer, a member of the county's economic development board, questioned the project.

Moyock and Grandy are the most populated areas, both at least 10 miles from Maple, a sparsely populated area.

"How far are people willing to go?" Palmer asked.

The YMCA plans to do a study to determine the customer base, but the market would not allow a Y in Maple unless the county pays for the building, George said.

In 2003, the YMCA teamed with the College of The Albemarle and Albemarle Hospital to open a $6.1 million facility in Elizabeth City. The YMCA paid $3.8 million toward construction, according to news reports at the time.

Currituck residents have memberships in YMCAs in Elizabeth City, Nags Head and in Great Bridge, he said. Elizabeth City has 4,600 members, Great Bridge has 10,810, and Nags Head has 3,680, George said.

About half the $15 million set aside for the project was funded by occupancy taxes, fees that are charged for beach rental homes and mandated for tourism purposes. Tourists would not be using a mainland facility much, Palmer said.

Also, with the county paying for the building, it gives the YMCA an advantage over private sports facilities in the county, he said.

Jeff Hampton, (252) 338-0159, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com