Recreational facilities, aging infrastructure highlighted during Dothan strategic plan talks

A plan to upgrade parts of Rip Hewes Stadium became more defined during a presentation from Assistant City Manager Randy Morris, who said the first phase of the project could address field lighting and install a new video board and be done before the 2021 football season.

New track facility talks were enlivened with Commissioners Janasky Fleming and John Ferguson advocating the project finally be prioritized after years of interest from the community.

“I feel certain with the popularity of track… the interest level is so high that this would not be something that goes to waste,” Fleming said during the meeting.

Ferguson suggested Fleming take the lead with facilitating conversations between nonprofits and local school systems that would primarily use the track.

Mayor Mark Saliba said a track facility would likely not pay for itself because there aren’t very many state tournaments, but he is supportive of building it to improve the quality of life of Dothan residents.

Morris briefly described a two-part future plan for Water World’s continued improvements, including Phase 2 of the park’s expansion.

The first part of the plan would address outdated infrastructure: creating a new employee lounge (the current one is in an old storage shed), renovating the concession stand, adding on to the park’s front entrance, tiling restroom floors, and replacing the fiberglass on the Great White and resurfacing its tower, and repair the wave pool equipment. The total to address all those needs is $1.5 million.

Phase 2 of the Water World expansion – the main feature being a long-awaited lazy river amenity – is estimated to cost between $8.2 million to $17 million depending on the exact design, associated play structures and slides, a possible beach entry, and associated parking.

The commission will likely not fund Phase 2 in the near future as it waits to see how much revenue a regular season of the water park being open with the recent additions will bring in to the city.

Commissioners also discussed re-turfing and improving James Oates Park, improving field lighting at several sports fields, continued costly improvements to the city’s sewer and water infrastructure, and future road projects.

Commissioners and city officials will reconvene with strategic planning consultant Barbara Alford at the Dothan Civic Center in the second-floor board room beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning to nail down their top priorities for the next several years.