The possible sites

There are four options up for consideration to locate the proposed tennis center, including a new addition to the mix.

Satterfield Park has re-emerged as a possible candidate for two central reasons - it would consolidate athletic fields at one eastside location and would result in minimal impact on the upcoming SPLOST as, according to multiple sources, park officials were strongly considering applying for upcoming SPLOST funds for infrastructure improvements and facility expansions. Relocating those suspected expenditures at a more centralized location does make sense.

However, there figure to be various folks opposed to that move. For proponents of the tennis center, Satterfield Park is not located on a primary road. For longtime Satterfield Park patrons, this is a relatively unwelcome proposition that might frustrate a group of folks wanting to keep the existing facility for baseball use (and who, according to the article, are already getting a bit antsy).

And, of course, there is the fact that the Site Selection Committee didn't recommend Satterfield Park for a variety of reasons. Despite scoring 35 points, which was one of the higher tallies, the committee expressed numerous concerns ranging from its proximity to Ben Epps Airport, thus impacting the upcoming expansion of that facility, as well as noise and traffic.

As you see, then, there are positives and negatives to the new option, and I'm not sure which one ought to hold more value. However, it might be worthwhile to consider some alternatives to two existing options ...

- Utilize Bishop Park, but relocate the Athens Farmers Market to its rightful space ... at the old farmer's market site. That location is currently vacant and leased by Athens-Clarke County for $1 a year. Arguably, it needs some repairs and infrastructure improvements, but it's difficult to see how expensive those repairs are given that the AFM, you know, operates outside (I'm legimately curious to know exactly what type of condition the old market is in, so if anyone knows, shoot me an email).

- Acquire the Athens YWCO property and devote the balance of the funding to basic site preparation (as much as they will permit). Then, encourage both the YWCO and the various tennis organizations to reapply for SPLOST money, but tell them they must match the money allocated from the next round of funding. If done properly, it might be the type of public-private partnership needed in this area.

Arguably, these are two suggestions put forward with limited evidence and information, but - given that more than likely this is going to be an unpopular and difficult choice to make - it might be interesting to see what options like these could yield and how feasible they really are.