The Simpson County School Board has received a letter requesting the school district to give the City of Magee 14 acres commonly known as Washington Street Park.
The letter was from Bruce Smith, attorney for the City of Magee. The property consists of 14 acres, which was part of the property belonging to the old Magee Elementary School.
It had been home to neighborhood baseball fields; however, the site has fallen into a state of neglect. The city has been maintaining the property, but it is litter strewn now. The road near the ballfield is nearly impassible because of erosion and washing. There is known gang activity in the area and the concession stand area is apparently part of that activity, having been painted with gang signs in the past six months, according to Magee Police Chief Randy Crawford.
In return for the land, the city has offered the school district free use of the ballfield at the Jimmy Clyde Sportsplex. The schools have paid the city an agreed upon $150,000. However, two of the annual payments in the amount of $15,000 each were waived when the new Magee Elementary facility was built.
In the letter the city offers to allow Magee High School the opportunity to use the sportsplex field at no cost for 10 years. Prior to the building of that new ball complex the schools did not pay for use of the baseball fields, according to Superintendent Greg Paes. The old field was at McNair Springs. The use of the field also included use of a girls softball field.
Members of the school board were a little concerned about the offer of use that came to them from the city. They stated that they had just given the city the old elementary facility at no cost and now the city wanted more.
The City of Magee has maintained the property for years, but the current city administration has not done so, claiming that they don’t have labor available for maintenance.
Alderman Patrick Brown ensured the board that the property would be maintained, but it is not currently being done, as is evidenced by the litter of garbage including beer cans and the like. The grass has not been cut with any regularity, as it has not on other city property.
The school board appeared to be willing to deed the property but did not like the idea of the district being charged for use of the baseball fields in the future. Superintendent Greg Paes said he wished that the board could build and maintain their own playing fields as they are about to do in the Mendenhall schools. The high school baseball coach cuts and maintains the field at the Mendenhall sportsplex.
School Board member Patrice Boykin representing part of the Magee area indicated that she did not feel that the city was being fair in their request, especially in light of the fact that the board gave the elementary school to the city.
Magee Mayor Dale Berry was asked when the board approved the offer to the school board. He said they did not, that the action was taken only by Alderman Patrick Brown and the board attorney.
