Soccer group makes play for golf course - Gazette

MSI proposes multimillion-dollar, multipurpose complex at Sligo Creek

by Jason Tomassini | Staff Writer | Wednesday, July 1, 2009

A multimillion-dollar soccer field project and a Frisbee golf course are two options being considered for Sligo Creek Golf Course in Silver Spring if the unlikely option of keeping golf at the course cannot be achieved.

Montgomery Soccer Inc. is proposing two grass and four synthetic fields covering a third of the 65-acre plot at 9701 Sligo Creek Parkway. The synthetic fields would include light fixtures up to 60 feet tall, said Doug Schuessler, executive director of MSI, which serves about 14,000 youth players in the county.

It would be a multimillion dollar project, Schuessler said, with MSI willing to "participate significantly in the cost of construction and maintenance of the fields." Through use from MSI players and possibly schools and the county's rec department, the fields would add much-needed soccer fields to the downcounty area. Existing fields in the area experience heavy use. The Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, which offers several fields, is far removed from the downcounty area, Schuessler said.

It would cost roughly $250,000 to install a grass field and between $600,000 and $1.2 million for each synthetic field, which have lower maintenance costs and provide better quality, he said.

Schuessler made the announcement at a June 23 town hall meeting hosted by the North Hills of Sligo Creek Civic Association. Residents at the meeting were concerned about the cost of such a project now that the land will be operated by a county agency. They also were concerned about the environmental impact. A few years ago the community rejected the Revenue Authority's proposal of a lighted driving range that would increase revenue at the course.

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