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Commission tables Huntfield recreation center final plans after safety and circulation concerns
Summary
Charles Town planning commissioners tabled revised final plans for the Huntfield recreation center and asked the applicant to address specific safety and design items including fencing for the basketball court, pedestrian access across the combined parking lot, deck square footage around the pool, separation of the kiddie pool, and landscaping/median clarifications.
The Charles Town Planning Commission tabled revised final plans for the Huntfield recreation center on Feb. 24 after commissioners and members of the public raised safety and layout concerns.
Staff said the revised plans are similar to earlier 2006–2007 plan sets but show a consolidated parking layout and changes to the pool configuration. The proposal includes a community pool, a clubhouse and associated site amenities; staff noted the plan meets annexation conditions for minimum facilities (including a community pool of at least 4,500 square feet and a clubhouse of at least 2,100 square feet) but commissioners questioned whether some changes had reduced usable pool-deck and adjoining amenity space.
Charlie Sudell, a resident and landscaper, urged a larger deck, saying, “I would beg you to at least put a minimum of 20, if not 25, for adequate deck space for chairs, tables, and sitting space.” Commissioners also expressed concerns about pedestrian circulation created by combining two parking lots into one, and asked for measures to ensure children would not run across the lot between pool and play areas. Several members recommended fencing at the basketball court on the sides that face traffic or parking and discussed whether the kiddie pool should be separated from deeper water.
Staff listed requested clarifications and directed the applicant to return with responses and plan revisions: (1) fence the basketball court on the sides facing traffic/parking (three specific sides), (2) provide a safer, more direct pedestrian path across the parking area (which may require removing or reconfiguring one or two parking spaces), (3) provide the exact square footage of the pool decking and compare it to the old plan, (4) show a barrier or separation between the kiddie pool and the main pool, (5) confirm whether planters shown in older plans remain, and (6) confirm whether median/Prospect landscaping is in scope for this plan set. The commission agreed to a motion to table the item pending the applicant’s revised materials or a special meeting requested by the applicant.
