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O'Fallon council approves study to update Family Sports Park plan amid resident concerns
Summary
The O'Fallon City Council authorized the mayor to sign an agreement with Ballard King and Associates for a feasibility study of the Family Sports Park. Residents urged the council to align the study with earlier master plans and questioned the study's scope and cost.
The O'Fallon City Council on Aug. 18 voted to authorize the mayor to execute an agreement with Ballard King and Associates to conduct a feasibility study for the Family Sports Park.
The study authorization was presented by Council Member Carney as a resolution and passed on a roll call vote. Council Member Carney read the resolution requesting the mayor be authorized to sign the agreement.
Residents at two public-comment periods urged the council to ensure any new study aligns with earlier master plans and to clarify the study's scope and cost. Jerry Albrecht, Ward 2, asked whether the study would solicit public input and whether it was an update to the park's existing master plan. "Is there a plan to have public input to this kind of thing?" Albrecht asked.
Vernoir, Ward 3, said the new study appeared disconnected from earlier designs and raised cost concerns, saying, "And this $35,000 feasibility study that you were proposing to, pass tonight ... doesn't relate to the pictures that are here for the they call it the flex that you were going to develop." Vernoir also suggested the park designs lack community-center space for teens and seniors.
Council Member Carney introduced the resolution authorizing the mayor to sign the contract with Ballard King and Associates; a council member seconded the motion, and the roll call produced affirmative votes. The motion carried.
Discussion during the meeting did not specify the study's timeline, deliverables, or an exact contract amount in the council presentation. The only figure mentioned in the meeting record for the study—$35,000—was cited by a resident during public comment and was not presented by staff as an official contract amount.
The council made no further formal directions during the vote; the next procedural step will be execution of the agreement by the mayor and any subsequent staff briefings or timelines that result from that contract.
The council will address related park planning and the draft strategic plan at upcoming committee and council sessions, where residents and council members can ask for additional details on scope and public engagement.
