Commission lobs tennis center talk into meeting

A majority of Athens-Clarke commissioners seem to be in favor of building at least some tennis courts at Bishop Park.

The commission was scheduled to talk about building a $2.3 million sales tax-funded tennis center at Bishop Park on Thursday, but Mayor Heidi Davison pulled it from the meeting agenda Monday.

However, at the end of Thursday night's agenda-setting meeting, Davison and commissioners held a 45-minute informal discussion about reaching a compromise on the controversial tennis center. Officials have struggled for two years to find a location for it, meeting opposition and serious drawbacks at every turn.

Lynn, who represents the Bishop Park area, defended building the tennis center there despite widespread opposition in his district.

"It's where the tennis infrastructure is now," he said. "It's considered the tennis park. It's where tennis is played."

Lynn and commissioners Ed Robinson and Harry Sims said they want to see a plan that will save a large multi-use field and cram more courts onto an existing baseball field.

"I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a softball player in the neighborhood," Lynn said.

Commissioners Kathy Hoard and Mike Hamby said they want to explore splitting the tennis center's approximately 10 courts between Bishop Park, where 11 courts already exist, and another location. Commissioner Kelly Girtz, who did not attend the Thursday meeting, said Monday he supports a similar plan.

Lynn cautioned against splitting up the courts because dividing them would make holding t

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