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Residents urge county to expand fields and tennis courts as Dawson Park design advances
Summary
At an Oconee County town hall in May, residents and organized youth-sports leaders pressed county officials for more indoor courts, outdoor fields and faster progress on Dawson Park while county staff described design timelines and funding constraints.
Oconee County residents and youth-sports organizers pressed county leaders on Thursday for expanded indoor courts and additional outdoor fields as the county advances design work for Dawson Park.
The most frequent requests came from parents and program leaders who said local travel and feeder leagues lack practice and game space. “We have wait lists where we’re having to turn kids away,” said Taylor Dodd, owner of Tall Sox Tennis, which holds the county tennis contract. Multiple speakers urged the county to deliver more than the four additional courts currently under discussion.
The comments came during a broader parks update from county staff and an extended public-comment period. County staff said parts of the Dawson Park program remain in design and that work on site buildings is intended to be bid-ready by the end of the first quarter of 2026. Carter Engineering, staff said, was awarded the design contract for the gym and field services building at Wendell and Betty Dawson Park and is coordinating with water-resources and traffic engineers on utility decommissioning and access improvements.
Why it matters: residents and small nonprofits say current capacity limits force youth teams to practice outside the county or use nonideal spaces such as baseball outfields or church fields. That raises scheduling problems and costs for families; speakers also said deliveries of tournament business and hotel stays are a potential economic benefit if facilities can host events.
What residents said: Philip Bernard, a Watkinsville resident and parent, urged the county to account for children who participate in independent feeder leagues and travel teams that “aren’t counted in any of the numbers that you all see.” Wesley Scott, president of Oconee County Little League, said the league’s scheduling strain reflects a lack of usable field time for the many teams now registered. Morgan Anders, a youth soccer club coach, noted his club travels out of county to tournaments and asked whether Oconee could host tournaments instead.
Tennis-specific requests were the most frequent single ask. Several speakers urged the county to build more than the four new courts that had been discussed publicly. “The extra 24 courts would be fantastic,” said Susan McKinney, a recreational player who told the board she had talked with tennis players statewide who would travel to a larger facility. Terry Gattacker, who described himself as a former Oconee County High School teacher and assistant tennis coach, said Oconee lost access to about 20 high-school courts when school facilities changed and noted the county’s existing eight-court OVP complex sees heavy use.
County constraints and next steps: staff told attendees that design choices and grant offers affect final scope and cost. A county representative said the current goal for the indoor-tennis design is to reach eight total courts if funding allows, but cost and public appetite for debt will determine whether construction is phased. The county also said it received a tennis-association grant that required staff to re-evaluate surface, fencing and other specifications; the exact grant amounts discussed in the session were not specified in the transcript.
Several speakers urged public–private partnerships and local fundraising to close gaps. Jason Bragg and Eric Gattiger, both on the Oconee Parks Foundation board, told commissioners their foundation stands ready to support fundraising and volunteer efforts for park projects.
What was not decided: the county did not adopt a construction contract or approve a final budget for Dawson Park at the meeting. Officials said they would return with value-engineering figures, final cost estimates and options for phasing projects once design work and grant evaluations conclude.
Ending: Residents left the meeting urging faster timelines and clear funding plans; county staff reiterated that further details and cost estimates will be available once design consultants complete scope and value-engineering work and that public input will continue to shape the final proposals.
