Commissioners table Greenville Recreation Facility LWCF project amid rising cost concerns

Meriwether County commissioners on April 7 voted to table consideration of a $200,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant for the Greenville Recreation Facility while staff checks whether the county can meet the grant’s matching requirement and whether the grant scope can be staged.

Staff told the board the LWCF award was originally accepted by the county in August 2022 and provides $200,000 toward a project originally estimated at $400,000. Meeting presenters said construction cost increases since the earlier estimate now make the full project cost substantially higher — in discussion, some commissioners and staff referenced estimates in excess of $1 million. The LWCF grant requires a 50% local match, and staff recommended pausing until updated cost estimates are available.

Staff described the project area as roughly 25 acres and said the original scope included a grassy open space, an accessible walking trail, a pavilion, an ADA‑accessible playground, restroom facilities and a dog park. Commissioners asked whether the work could be phased and whether the county could use the grant for initial site work or staged improvements; staff said the program allows staged work in some circumstances but that the county must confirm allowable changes with the program manager.

Commissioners asked staff to determine whether the project can be re‑scoped or relocated within the county and to return with updated cost estimates and options for staging construction. The board voted to table the item to the regular meeting on April 22 to allow staff time to contact the grant program manager, confirm whether the grant may be staged or relocated, and report back.