Scott County Fiscal Court on June 13 authorized up to $150,000 for playground equipment at Great Crossing Park, approving equipment-only purchases and excluding colored crumb-rubber surfacing from the order.

County staff and park advocates discussed two possible playground locations: adjacent to a recently installed parking lot and on a hillside near the entrance path. Staff said one site would allow a near-term installation with a planned Phase 2 to add hillside slides, climbing structures and tiered seating with shade trees. Officials said this phased approach could include playground equipment, swings and a spinner as initial components.

The court also heard extended discussion about additional capital needs at Great Crossing Park, where committee members and staff said youth baseball and softball fields are at capacity. Estimates shared in the meeting suggested multi-field projects could cost millions: a past preliminary estimate for four fields was roughly $3.5 million, and another figure for four new fields was cited at about $7.5 million in earlier planning.

Magistrates urged the court to develop a clear capital plan and consider grant or philanthropic options; staff said consultants (identified in the meeting as Monica from a design/consulting group) would provide siting guidance and help refine costs. The motion approved by the court covered equipment only; surfacing and site prep will be addressed in later phases and with additional funding decisions.

Officials said they will bring back refined siting, surfacing recommendations and cost estimates, and they flagged parking capacity around courts and fields as a priority for the next planning steps.