County officials have given their stamp of approval to a new athletic initiative that supporters hope will take off within a few years.
The Fayette County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously at its March 10 regular meeting to approve a youth athletic association agreement with the Peachtree City Rowing Club that paves the way for rowing activities to begin at Lake McIntosh, possibly within a few months.
The rowing club installed an all-volunteer board in 2014 and established its nonprofit status last year in its quest to establish a relationship with the Fayette County Parks and Recreation Department similar to that in place with associations governing more traditional youth sports in the area. Rowing enthusiasts point to their sport as one that can be enjoyed by participants of all ages.
Under the partnership agreed upon last week, the county will construct and maintain some facilities while the rowing club plans and administers its program. According to a staff report issued before the meeting, the club wishes to begin by offering high school and middle school as well as masters rowing programs along with summer offerings for young people in the recreation department’s summer camp program.
Anita Godbee of the Fayette County Parks and Recreation Department called Lake McIntosh “a great venue for them to start their program.”
Megan Gradek, a local resident and representative of the Peachtree City Rowing Club, gave a short presentation to the commissioners on behalf of the program. When asked by Commissioner Steve Brown to share some of her credentials, she acknowledged that she had been a member of the U.S. national rowing team in years past and had considerable experience in the Northeast beginning in college.
Aside from the potential for hosting competitions and the revenue they could provide, she said the primary benefit would be for local residents who participate. She stated that 52 percent of high school girls who apply for rowing scholarships receive them. “That’s a pretty big number – bigger than any other sport,” she said.
Rowing has also become an increasingly popular activity for people with disabilities, she added, and because of that it is an avenue for grant funding. It is also popular with inner-city young people in some areas.
The Atlanta Rowing Club is the closest active program to Fayette County and it is located 60 miles away, Gradek said. That organization’s annual regatta moved to Chattanooga a few years ago because of low water levels at Lake Lanier, and Chattanooga officials love having it there, she added.
“That kind of popularity won’t be reached here in a year, but it’s a good thing to look at long-term,” she said.
The Peachtree City Rowing Club’s goal is to further athletic and aquatic activities for anyone who wants to learn a new sport, according to Gradek.
County residents could potentially see boats on the water by July once an agreement with the county is in place.
Areas around Lake Peachtree have been identified for picking up and dropping off participants, and it was pointed out that a dock and other safety-related structures would be required for the program to be operational. Gradek said Lake Peachtree would be an ideal venue for 5,000-meter and even Olympic-length races.
“We could certainly host an Olympic-type regatta one day,” she said. “It might be ten years from now, but we could do it.”
The club has been in discussion with Row America, which would help with the start-up process by supplying equipment as well as support personnel such as coaches. Gradek said she expected 300-400 people would start rowing with the club in its first year, and the timing is perfect because of the opening of Lake McIntosh and the availability of Row America.
“It’s our desire to bring rowing to the community because we love it,” she said. “We want our children to row. This community has the natural resources to be able to do it.”
Godbee informed the commissioners that the Recreation Commission had met to discuss the issue and was in favor of it moving forward.
County manager Steve Rapson added that the county will have some improvements to make in the early stages that should be in the $25,000-30,000 range. The rowing club would implement user fees like any other athletic association, with out-of-county residents likely paying a supplemental fee as well. Any major capital improvements would be looked at down the road as the organization grows and can absorb most of those costs. Rapson added that there are no issues with either the county’s Water System or the Georgia Environmental Protection Division regarding the matter.
“This is exciting,” said Brown. “I’ve been surprised at how many people in the county have experience in rowing. I’m looking forward to it getting certified as a high school sport. That would be phenomenal.”
Chairman Charles Oddo also referred to the recent Fayette Forward discussion and the stated goal of getting more younger adults to locate in the county. He said he sees this program as an ideal tool for attracting those people.
Brown moved to approve the request with an allocation of $30,000 from the recreation contingency budget. It was approved unanimously.
