Davis, several Democrats opposed to Wesselman Tennis proposal
Democratic Party mayoral nominee Rick Davis and several of his fellow Democrats announced Tuesday they are against the proposed Wesselman Park tennis court expansion, which would include building a 43,000 square foot indoor tennis facility adjacent to the Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve.
Davis was joined by several other Democrats who are running for City Council seats in the upcoming city election in declaring they are against the current proposal, which would involve the construction of six indoor tennis courts and six outdoor tennis courts on publicly-owned land, paid for by tax dollars. Once completed, the facility would then be operated by a non-profit organization, the Evansville Community Tennis Association.
Davis was joined by City Council At-Large incumbent Dr. H. Dan Adams; At-Large Candidate Conor O’Daniel; Sixth Ward City Council Candidate Al Lindsey; and Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley, the Third Ward City Council candidate who would represent the area where the proposed tennis courts would be located, in objecting to the current proposal.
Davis and his fellow Democrats stated they objected to the 43,000 square foot facility being located next to the Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve, which is a National Natural Landmark and a State Nature Preserve consisting of 240 acres located inside the City Limits.
No other city in the United States with a population exceeding 100,000 has within its corporate limits a timber stand of its size and qualities, according to the Wesselman Nature Preserve’s web site.
Davis commended the tennis association for past projects it has completed in order to make the Wesselman tennis courts a community asset, but said the current plan is overreaching, particularly when its location is concerned.
“The ECTA has done wonderful things for the community, including building and resurfacing courts, installing lighting, building a club house, and installing a paved parking lot, among other improvements,” said Davis. “And let’s not forget they have hosted a USTA 10K Women’s Professional Tournament at the Wesselman Tennis Center since 2005.
“But we owe it to past and future generations to protect the nature preserve, which is a jewel that deserves to be protected,” said Davis, who said he also has concerns regarding how the facility will be managed once it is completed.
Whoah,
Did Rick and Lloyd just step their campaigns out of the secret-rich-geriatric mode? Will we actually hear, publicly, firm positions on other items?
Or, is the only reason they felt compelled to go public – that they agree?
Isn’t the bigger question… Does Weinzapfel even support the tennis facility idea? Is it more important to ask if (Vice-Mayor) Kish supports it? (Cause if Weinzapfel-Kish doesn’t, well, we just have runaway bureaucrats, again?)
But even if Weinzapfel does support it, why in the hell do we hear about a proposal layed out by unelected bureaucrats – AGAIN!
Will one of these candidates actually step up and challenge the bureaucrats (ERC) to find politicians to endorse their ideas and to let THEM, SELL ideas to the public in the future – before we just hear another plan, pushed by mystery men, to which we’re just supposed to… [WHAT]!
Remember:
Until the source of this Tennis announcement is found… We won’t know who is actually wearing Smeagol’s, precious, ring.
nobody in their right mind thinks we need to build an indoor tennis club for the Evansville elite. We are gonna be so broke after building the John and the attending luxury hotel that we are gonna have a hard time building the sewer projects required by the EPA and what about the McCurty home for retired pigeons, bats and goats? Rick has stated he will appoint elected officials to boards that spend our tax money so there will be at least some accountability to the public. This is starting to sound like a really good idea.
And I also noticed this list didn’t include Missy Mosby or John Weaver, am I to infer they support this travesty, or that the reported peace meetings didn’t take?
Rick Davis and those who choose to support him are the future of this region.
The mayor’s first pick, Mr Tornatta was swept away, so Mr Winnecke shall be. Voters will not elect a “Weinzapfel clone.” (no matter how slick)
The future of Roberts Stadium/Wesselman Park and Nature Preserve issue was “handed off” to the next administration, because none of the mayor’s party supported candidates wanted to carry the burden, or follow the path that led to the political demise of those who either chose not to run, or who were crushed in the primaries over the Wesselman Park issues. This tennis courts proposal is a thinly disguised movement to gain momentum for the Wesselman “Sports Complex.”
(ball-fields and all)
Remember Mr Winnecke defers his decision on the future of Roberts/Wesselman Park issue to a “to be named/appointed” panel, after the election.
(can you predict their findings?)
There are those who are more than eager to destroy the good and great things about Evansville for any chance to filter public money through their sticky fingers.
Yes, “handing off” the Roberts Stadium/Wesselman Park/ball fields, debacle was shrewd, but those who continue to ignore the VCTP’s/VOTERS will likely join Mr Weinzapfel, Mr Tornatta and Mr Watts at the employment office.
This: IMHO
One mans shrewd is another mans ____. It’s shrewd, that it’s not reported as a major administrative failure.
But…
Don’t forget the contrary evidence that the taxpayers/voters will endorse insanity and just laugh off whatever happens – Andrew Smith, Reicken, Durham, Weaver, etc?
What amazes me is, nobody has detailed the rotten politics beneath the surface of all of this. What is the deal with the Show Me’s bar out by the movie theaters off of Morgan Avenue and the racquet club at the top of the Executive Inn parking garage? Who are the players and the investors who are so upset about all of this?
Also, what about a certain hotel owner who recently resigned in disgrace from the Convention and Visitors Bureau Board? Are we really any better off with this new crop of members of this board?
Its time for the crooks and criminals and all the greeds to back off. Its also time to call for a moratorium on new debt creation and wild spending that makes our local officials and their appointees to all these boards and commissions look like heroin addicts. Stop the insanity — no more ball fields, no more tennis courts, we need to do more with less and deal with what we have.
Is it insanity to think that Evansville sidewalks are going to be contributing to increasing the national debt limit? (> $14.2 Trillion?)
At some point do you have to have specifics before you just ask for federal money, or is it policy to just get the money to later develop plans on how to use it? (http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/jun/27/no-headline—citycouncil/) Is this the definition of the joke that is now, “shovel ready”?
Since Barnett mentions there are sidewalks that “really need it”. Can anyone get him on record to detail those spots?
Since local sidewalks aren’t really a federal affair, can the responsible locality actually budget some money to FIX THOSE THINGS THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR – AS OPPOSED TO FOCUSING ON HELPING THE TENNIS ASSOCIATION FEEL BETTER, OR OUR CONCERT-GOERS HAVING BETTER DRINKING FOUNTAINS, OR DEVELOPING A MCCURDY, ETC.?
Eville Taxpayer
I feel you, brother!
Okay the city known for being the fat city in the united states let us all remain fat, let us not provide facilities for our youth to excersize. Let us not provide free lessons on saturday for john q public like the ECTA does. Let us make our people pay to be members of for profit clubs to get excersize and let the poor man stay fat. Let us make the city maintain the tennis courts at Wesselman instead of freeing up public monies and having the ECTA maintain everything on the tennis courts. The Wesselamn reserve has already approved the plan they were consulted first. There are no trees where the courts are going. There are no buildings to be torn down. The tennis area is the best maintained part of wesselman park with the exception of the preserve area, and once again this is at no cost to the city or county but the volunteers of the ECTA.
This is the perverse, progressive mentality that is spreading here like news of a free, guvy concert.
Nobody “makes” you join a “for profit” club! If you’re waiting for the government to exercise you or your youth, we just found out a new cause for the obesity in Evansville.
The City of Evansville doesn’t maintain it’s grass, let alone keeping hypodermic needles out of sandboxes, or nunchucks/condoms and bottles of booze littered around them – why would they focus on the tennis court maintenance?
“this is at no cost to the city or county”, say what?
Since ECTA not the parks dept. maintains the courts at Wesselman with private money and has put $700,000.00 of private money into the tennis center since 2003 I would say yes up unto this point at no cost to the city
Repectfully, ECTA has done some great things and as a volunteer orgaization they are to be commended. Ultimately the funding of this new club by the CVB comes down to the crux of public funds used to give individuals an unfair advantage in the marketplace.
IF ECTA builds the courts with the aid of city money, and IF ECTA can secure USTA tournaments thru a bid process (zero garauntees) and IF the tournaments are large enough to last 5 days per tournament, AND IF ECTA can secure 25% of the 33 tournaments that they proposed bidding on at the CVB meeting on Wednesday.. that would meant that 1 million dollars of cith money will be spent for the ability to MAYBE host 8 tournements with MAYBE 40 days of play. (remeber.. lose and go home in USTA tournaments so 1st day is full, second is half, third is half of that…) That is all IF’s and MAYBES…
What we KNOW is that if the city gives ECTA 1 million dollars, there will be at least 300 days that that facility will be managed by ECTA representatives who currently are principles in a defunct public club. We KNOW that these tennis professionals are currently charging market rates for their services, and we KNOW that their overhead due to the city subsidized facility are less than market rate.
Simple math would state that if they charge market rates, and their costs are less, they are more profitable at the behest of the city dollar. Maybe ECTA, to clear up the bitterness of this situation should be forced to show how these tennis professionals “rent” the reserved, premium hours at Wesselman. My opinion is that if another entity tried to reserve courts at Wesselman for the purpose of making a tennis business, they would not be granted the same “courtesy” as the current tennis professionals.
Could somebody please tell me who is currently paying the water, sewage, and electricity at Wesselman Tennis Center? Who is going to be responsible for heating and cooling a 43,000 sq foot building with offices, lockerooms, and a “viewing” mezzanine?
This announcement seems a day late and about $300,000.00 short!
Why is it certain groups think an open green space, where people can sit in the sun or play games with their children, is fair game, free for the taking? Do they not understand people who dwell in apartments or have small yards might like to enjoy being outside?
All these groups think they have to do is beg, borrow or steal the money to cover it with asphalt, concrete and metal and a good fairy will heat, cool and maintain it while it boosts the economy of Evansville and makes it a place everyone will want to come.
Why not work out a deal with the EVSC to use those tennis courts during the summer, when the kids are out of school? Think creatively, folks. Throwing money around and building NEW isn’t always necessary. We have lots of big buildings sitting vacant around town that could be revamped. They even have parking lots, too. How about part of the Whirlpool plant?
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