With Centennial picked, push for real rec center site

We hope it's a moot point that the city has chosen JohnD Winters Centennial Park as a backup site for a new recreation center, but we applaud any effort at decisiveness.

We hope for the same kind of decisiveness from the state's college system and the Legislature in approving the funding that will allow a larger center elsewhere in the city, at Western Nevada Community College. Everyone would benefit from that solution. The city will have a larger center with more bells and whistles, and the college will have another selling point.

The city has about $10 million to $12 million to spend on its own, but with WNCC's partnership could build a $16 million facility.

Bottom line: Taxpayers would be getting a lot more bang for the buck.

We do find it curious that city leaders came to a different conclusion on a backup site than four parks and recreation employees, who had earlier recommended Edmonds Sports Complex as the best location.

They liked Edmonds because of its potential for expansion and the youth sports complex that's already on the site.

But realistically, that site has its problems too and, like Centennial, is nowhere near the center of the city. Unfortunately, the higher price of land in the center of town would detract from the center that could be built.

The search for the perfect spot has been going on for more than a year and neither Centennial nor Edmonds fit the bill perfectly. WNCC has its flaws as well, but none of them are bad enough to justify abandoning $8 million.