Paulding County Hospital considers buying Payne Elementary ball fields for new office; ball association offers alternate fields

Paulding County Hospital representatives told the Village of Payne council on Dec. 30 that the hospital is considering purchasing land in Payne to build a new outpatient office. Kyle Mawer, chief operating officer of Paulding County Hospital, said the hospital has outgrown its South Main Street location and is evaluating lots in the village for an office of about 3,600 square feet or an alternate design of roughly 6,000–6,200 square feet that would include a gym.

Mawer told council the hospital board will take up the lot purchase and building options at its February meeting; the plans discussed at the council meeting were preliminary. Council President Brad Bohland introduced the presentation and noted the board-level decision is upcoming.

Travis Tumblin, president of the Payne Ball Association, told council that if the hospital buys the Payne Elementary ball fields the association would be interested in adding two baseball/softball fields at Payne Village Park. Council asked Tumblin to obtain cost estimates for constructing two additional fields, and asked that the association and hospital continue coordination with Mayor Lora Lyons and school-district representatives (identified in the meeting as Wayne Trace superintendent and Paul Jones).

The proposal raises several next steps: the hospital board review in February, cost estimates for replacement fields from the association, and identification of available lots in the village. No formal land purchase, site plan or timeline was presented to the council at this meeting.

The council did not vote on any land-use action at the Dec. 30 meeting; Mawer presented the hospital's interest as part of preliminary, board-level discussions.