Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Youth Sports Facility topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kalamazoo County commissioners accept Westgate as recommended site for youth sports complex
Summary
The board voted to accept the youth sports facility ad hoc committee’s recommendation to pursue the Westgate property as the preferred site. The decision clears a key step toward planning and negotiating property purchase and related infrastructure work.
Kalamazoo County commissioners voted to accept the youth sports facility ad hoc committee's recommendation that the Westgate property be advanced as the preferred site for a county-supported youth sports complex.
The motion was made by Commissioner Wheeler and supported by Commissioner Morales; the roll call produced an affirmative tally and the motion carried. The approval directs staff and the ad hoc committee to move forward with next steps for site planning and related negotiations.
The site recommendation follows months of work by the ad hoc committee and external partners, including Discover Kalamazoo and municipal stakeholders. Administrator/Controller Dr. Jason Catlin and county staff have been participating in discussions about infrastructure, funding and potential partnerships.
During related committee meetings, commissioners raised questions about infrastructure impacts on nearby Oshtemo Township, representation on any future authority or advisory board, and which entity would finance and install water, sewer and road improvements. Commissioners emphasized that township and municipal partners should be included in planning, and some said they expected township representation in advisory or planning roles.
The county will now proceed from recommendation to the next planning and negotiation steps, including further coordination with municipal partners, infrastructure planners and prospective funding sources. Timetables for purchase, engineering studies and construction were not specified in the meeting record.
The board approved the recommendation as part of the regular meeting consent and nonconsent business; staff indicated additional details and planning items will be returned to the board in future briefings.
