Work ongoing at planned Clanton softball complex
Published 5:02 pm Friday, May 1, 2015
Work in progress: Work is ongoing at a new softball complex adjacent to Clanton City Park. In this view of the site, Highway 31 can be seen in the background, while light poles that will be installed at the complex are in the foreground.
Clanton’s new youth softball complex—at least part of it—could be completed this summer.
Mayor Billy Joe Driver said work is progressing on the project, which would include four youth softball fields and a concession/restroom facility adjacent to the city’s existing youth athletic park.
The complex will be located north of Clanton City Park, and the project site is visible to those traveling on Highway 31 near Goose Pond Park and Advance Pawn Shop.
Hard at work: Bevin McGuire (left) and Mark Fricke work Friday on the concession/restroom facility.
The total cost of the project could be around $7,000, though Driver said that figure is little more than a guess, since the cost of much of the work is still to be determined.
For example, the mayor said he was scheduled to meet Friday with representatives of a company about the installation of light poles along with the necessary electrical work.
Driver said the plan is to have two of the planned four regulation youth softball fields ready to be used as soon as possible, possibly by the end of June, then to focus on the last two fields.
The work is progressing steadily now after several rainy months that hindered progress.
“The weather has been terrible since before Christmas,” Driver said.
One issue that has yet to be settled is what to do about parking.
The existing City Park parking lot overflows when youth baseball and softball teams are playing at the same time, and the opening of the new fields would likely only add traffic.
Driver said some parking spots would be included as part of the softball complex project, but additional parking will likely need to be identified at some point.
