Residents challenge transparency, scale and financing of proposed Southmont sportsplex

Dozens of residents from the Southmont area told the Davidson County Board of Commissioners on July 24 that they were confused, surprised and concerned about a proposed Southmont Sportsplex project and the county’s public outreach about it.

During the public-comment portion of the meeting, speakers said many neighbors had learned about the project only recently and asked the board to slow the timetable, expand notifications and host community meetings with the engineering and architectural firms. Kevin Colasar, who identified himself as an Irvin Drive resident, said, “Many people only found out about this project 2 months ago,” and asked the county to mail information to residents who may not have internet access.

Why it matters: Commissioners are considering spending public funds and making zoning and infrastructure decisions for a multi-field sports and recreation complex that commenters said could add thousands of visitors, intensify traffic on two-lane roads, and change the character of adjoining neighborhoods. Several speakers also raised questions about using unassigned federal COVID-relief and capital funds for the project.

Residents described wide-ranging concerns. Jamie Gibson, an Irvin Drive resident and educator, questioned whether the Sportsplex would improve academic outcomes and said she feared it would not primarily serve county youth. Lenny Diffelice, a longtime local business owner, called the project a fiscal risk, saying revenue projections would take decades to recoup — “54 years to recover the money,” he said — and urged commissioners to “downsize this thing.”

Neighbors urged specific mitigation measures: former military officer Heather (first name not specified in transcript) asked the county to expand the proposed tree buffer to 200 feet, use "night sky"-friendly lighting, install stormwater protections for the nearby lake and provide priority scheduling and reduced or no fees for Davidson County teams. Several speakers requested that the county and the project design team commit to meeting with the Southmont community during the design process before finalizing plans.

On funding, comments referred to earlier county discussions about using ARPA and surpluses. One resident warned against repurposing capital project funds and said the county should not treat “free money” as unrestricted. Those fiscal concerns were raised alongside requests for clearer, earlier public outreach and for the county to publish project limits, field counts, and parking assumptions in plain language.

Commission response and next steps: Chairman Yates told speakers the Facilities Committee will take up details at an August meeting; several commissioners urged residents to attend that session. County staff and commissioners said zoning and technical questions should be addressed by the Facilities Committee and the Planning process; no final votes on the Sportsplex were taken during the July 24 meeting.

What remains unresolved: Speakers asked for clearer documentation of the proposed site acreage, zoning allowances, estimated visitor counts, traffic studies and the precise funding sources and amounts. Commissioners and staff encouraged residents to attend the Facilities Committee meeting scheduled for Aug. 7 and said the county would work to provide additional information.

Ending: Speakers emphasized a desire to be included in the design process and to see concrete mitigations — larger landscape buffers, stricter lighting and noise controls, priority access for county teams and staged outreach to households without internet access — before any final commitments on the project move forward.