Springdale pursues input on proposed recreation center

ST. GEORGE —  Springdale is pondering building a recreation center due to early indications of community support. Designs are on display at the Canyon Community Center until Friday, April 7, and the center will have an open house on April 11, from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Map of proposed Springdale Recreation Center site, which is where the old softball fields are located, Springdale, Utah, unspecified date | Courtesy of Ryan Gubler, St. George News

“We began looking at the potential of a recreation building after we surveyed the community, which indicated fairly strong interest and support for such a project,” Ryan Gubler, director of parks and recreation, told St. George News. “We are currently looking at the possibility of adding more indoor recreation options, including a space for yoga, a workout room and more.”

There are displays of six options for a recreation center building or complex. Gubler said city staff wants to provide style options for the community to weigh in on. He said the campus style of separate buildings offers a little more aesthetically pleasing possibility.

The first half of the options are presented as a campus setting with multiple buildings on the site. The last half of the options have all the recreation center programs in one building. 

Gubler said the town’s community guidelines set a 10,000-square-foot limit for a building. In the combined building options, the square footage limit dictates what can go into the building. 

Springdale also is adding a new tennis court and outdoor half-court basketball court on the north section of the green space.

“Campus style is a little bit easier on the eyes, so there’s that, but then there’s the bigger building option that’s all combined,” Gubler said. “It would be less expensive and kind of be nice to keep everything contained in one building.”

Springdale will host an open Hhouse to gain input for a proposed Recreation Center on April 11 from 5:30-8:30 p.m at the Canyon Community Center, Springdale, Utah, Feb. 3, 2018 | Photo by Reuben Wadsworth, St. George News

In an email to St. George News, Councilwoman Suzanne Elger wrote that there will be sticky notes for residents to leave comments and ideas during the open house. Town staff and the design consultant will also be on hand to answer questions.

“The brainstorming sessions we held in September gave us great feedback and insight,” Elger said. “We want to build upon that success, and we want to hear from you to help us make this center a place for everyone in the community.”

Gubler said about 30 people participated in the fall session with feedback. The Open House will display the renderings at the Community Center. He hopes to have as many people attend to give the town their input on what type of Recreation Center to create.

“As a parks and recreation department, we are constantly looking for ways to improve recreational amenities and opportunities for Springdale residents,” Gubler said. “We are excited to gain more public feedback during our community open house.”

Several years ago, Gubler said Springdale did a survey and many residents indicated an interest in additional indoor recreational options.

Currently, the community center accommodates yoga sessions but is not designed for fitness classes. Gubler said it’s mainly for public meetings and exhibits and its schedule has become hectic.

“Our goal from the get-go was to make sure we build something the community wants and the community is going to use,” Gubler said. “It doesn’t do us any good to build a rec building if no one will use it. So far, indicators have said a lot of people would appreciate something like that in this community.”

Pending approval for the construction of the recreation building, funding could come from the Community Impact Board through grants and low-interest loans.

“Community Impact Board funding is an option that we have explored and will likely pursue,” Gubler said.

While reviewing the options, there are a few topics the design team wants public feedback on during the presentation, including:

  • Campus Site Plan Option versus Combined Site Plan Option
  • The different building spaces for the needs of the community.
  • Different architectural styles, designs and roof lines
  • Building materials
  • Site designs with building orientations
  • Total cost of construction for different building spaces.
  • Removal/addition of recreation center programs in specific options.

According to the website: 

The Permanent Community Impact Fund Board provides loans and grants to counties, cities and towns impacted by mineral resource development on federal lands. Because local communities cannot collect taxes from federal lands, their ability to provide necessities like roads, municipal buildings, and water and sewer service is diminished. To reduce that burden, a portion of the federal lease fees are returned to the Community Impact Board to distribute to the impacted communities.

To view the proposed designs, click here.

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