Williamsburg seeking grant for Little League field upgrades

Williamsburg officials are pursuing over $50,000 in grant funds to purchase and install new lights at the little league baseball field, install a new putting green at the driving range, and to purchase a new batting cage for Briar Creek Park.

Williamsburg Tourism Director Alvin Sharpe said about 20 people attended a public hearing concerning the grant application Thursday evening at the tourism center.

“Everybody that came was very, very positive,” Sharpe said.

He said the grant funding is through the Land and Water Conservation Fund and is designed to develop recreation facilities, ball fields and things of that nature.

The city is applying for up to $56,000 in grant funds that will require a 50 percent local match. The Williamsburg Tourism Commission has pledged to fund whatever the city can’t obtain through in kind contributions.

“The University of the Cumberlands has already assisted us. Williamsburg city school has already given us some assistance. The City of Williamsburg has already done some backhoe work,” Sharpe said.

The overall cost for the projects will be about $112,000.

Sharpe said it would cost about $82,000 to install new lights.

“When we started looking at this, the little league field down here at city park is in desperate need of new lighting,”

Sharpe said. “There are regulations out there you have to go by for safety reasons.”
Williamsburg has hosted regional little league tournaments before, and Sharpe said the city wants to put itself in position to host as many events as possible in the future.

A new putting green for the driving range at the Hal Rogers Family Entertainment Center is expected to run about $20,000. Sharpe noted that several local schools use the facility for practice.

The funding also calls for about $10,000 to install a new batting cage at Briar Creek Park.

Sharpe said the grant application has to be submitted by March 1, and that city officials hope to know whether they will receive the funding this summer.