Brentwood debate over proposed indoor racket facility grows as residents push for referendum

Residents pressed the Board of Commissioners on Jan. 27 to let voters decide whether the city should finance a proposed indoor racket facility, saying a petition with about 1,500 signatures shows widespread public interest.

The push for a referendum has become the meeting’s most contested civic issue. Devin McClendon, who said he has been circulating a nonbinding petition, told the commission, “In 2 weeks we've had more than 1500 people sign this petition” asking that the commission place a referendum on the ballot. Several other residents echoed that request during public comment.

Commissioners described a split on whether to put the question before voters now. Commissioner Spears summarized the staff-led timeline and cautioned against rushing: “We don't rush projects in Brentwood. We would not want to start doing that now.” Spears and other commissioners said staff and outside consultants have been working on the project for years and that final engineering and cost estimates are expected in May or June.

Spears and Commissioner McMillan emphasized that the city recruited a national sports facility management company to advise on market demand and operations. City staff told the commission that, if hired, the management company would need about eight weeks to produce a market-feasibility study and a pro forma. Commissioner McMillan said that company’s work could answer “many of the questions the residents of Brentwood have been asking.”

Other commissioners, including Commissioner Little and Commissioner Dunn, said they support letting voters decide on large, nonessential projects and urged that the commission add a referendum resolution to the agenda. Vice Mayor Travis urged more public outreach and more complete financial data before asking citizens to vote, saying a referendum without final design, costs and an independent pro forma would be “premature and inappropriate.”

Commissioners and staff outlined where the project stands administratively: conceptual plans are being converted into buildable designs, an RFP for facility managers was issued in October, and staff expects full design plans back in late spring. Commissioners noted that the city’s six-year Capital Improvements Program currently includes a placeholder that could be used for parks-related projects but that nothing has been voted on to issue bonds for this facility.

The commission did not vote on a referendum at the Jan. 27 meeting. Several commissioners asked staff to continue gathering the final design and the outside manager’s pro forma and to present that material before any vote to place a bond referendum on an election ballot.

What’s next: staff will complete the design and consultant studies expected in May or June, after which commissioners said they will revisit whether to place a bond referendum before voters.