FIRST ON 3: County could take over Soccer Park

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Starting Friday soccer fans around the globe will be captivated by the World Cup. Meanwhile the future of a local soccer park is in question as money for the up-keep of the fields is running dry.

The Cape Fear Regional Soccer Park is one of the best-known facilities for anyone in the area who plays the game, but control of the park may soon change hands. At the end of the month the maintenance funding agreement between New Hanover County and the Cape Fear Soccer Association expires. The CFSA currently gets money from the county. The association then contracts someone to do the work.

The county wants to take over the maintenance of the Soccer Park, which would cost much less than what it’s giving the CFSA now, but to do the work, the county wants to control scheduling of the park.

“What we’re proposing, because we have a travel crew together for the fields, is that we would take that under the county umbrella to maintain it,” New Hanover County Parks Director Jim McDaniel said. “From there we’re asking for the right to book it and do the scheduling as well.”

The CFSA seems OK with the idea.

“We would welcome that,” Peter Broadley, CFSA Executive Director, said. “That wouldn’t be that much of a problem.”

McDaniel says the county having control of the park would give other citizens who do not play soccer a chance at using the park for festivals or other events.