Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Morrisville council approves $5 million Church Street Park cricket project to improve drainage, add pitches and upgrade lights
Summary
Council voted unanimously to add a capital project ordinance to establish Church Street Park improvements—about $3 million for field and drainage work and $2 million for upgraded lighting—to support tournaments, increase field availability and match a hospitality-tax grant application due Nov. 6.
The Morrisville Town Council unanimously adopted a capital project ordinance (CPO 02/1970) on Oct. 28 to establish a Church Street Park improvement project focused on cricket facilities, funding and grant matching.
Town Manager Brandon Zidma told the council the project would address chronic drainage problems that leave the field unusable after rain, expand the facility from four pitches to six to increase usable capacity by roughly 50%, and upgrade lighting to international or broadcast levels so the town can host night matches. Zidma estimated the total project cost at approximately $5,000,000—about $3,000,000 for field and drainage work and about $2,000,000 for lighting improvements.
Zidma said the town is preparing a hospitality-tax grant application to Wake County and the City of Raleigh; the application deadline is Nov. 6 and the county’s committee will evaluate applications through the end of the year, with award notifications expected by mid-February. He explained that creating and funding the CPO demonstrates the town’s commitment and match share when applying for grant funds.
Councilmembers asked whether adding the project to the capital-improvement program would change the existing schedule; Zidma said it should not and that staff identified funding sources outside the current CIP, primarily parks reserves and accrued interest. Council members also asked about the basis for the $3 million drainage estimate; Zidma said the figure comes from a current written estimate updated this month by the interim public-works director and that the town plans to bring in an external reviewer as well.
Councilmember Rao moved to adopt CPO 02/1970; Councilmember Johnson seconded. The motion passed unanimously, 7-0. Staff said lighting work could move forward in the current off-season if grant funding is received, with field reconstruction dependent on the offseason timing and contractor availability.
Zidma and councilmembers noted the project could expand opportunities to host tournaments and community events and generate hospitality-tax revenue through increased visitor stays and local spending.
