At the intersection of Richfield and Rolling Roads, no one mentioned the "Sultan of Swat," the "Big Green Monster" or other romantic icons of America's pastime when the Citizens against a Major League Baseball Stadium in Springfield gathered on Monday, April 21.
Del. David B. Albo (R-42nd) couldn't come up with a snappy nomenclature for the group, which consisted of Supervisor Dana Kauffman (D-Lee); Springfield supervisor candidate Stan Ried; West Springfield Civic Association president Addison Smith; Lon Caldwell, past president of the West Springfield Civic Association; and others behind the movement. Albo did note their common link, though.
"We can have a unified voice against a stadium at the EPG [Engineering Proving Grounds]," he said.
Baseball in general wasn't the target of their anti-stadium talk, but financing the stadium with public funds in a time when many programs around the state were cut to save money didn't seem feasible. It would cost $378.6 million to build, with two-thirds of that from the taxpayers. Smith summed up their feelings.
"It's hard to understand why anybody would take $300 million out of the budget for baseball when we need schools and roads," he said.
The EPG area is 795 acres of U.S. Army land sandwiched between Backlick Road and the Fairfax County Parkway. It is split between the Mount Vernon and Lee Districts, and Kauffman came up with a plan, when the Army hands over the land to the county, which consisted of office space, retail, parkland and residential for the area. The stadium would dominate the whole site, according to the map provided by the Virginia Baseball Stadium Authority.
"This would be taking a solid plan and throwing it a curveball. This is a concern on both sides of 95," Kauffman said. He supports a plan currently under way for a bioinformatics incubator around the Northern Virginia Community College medical campus on the eastern side of I-95, right across from the EPG.
"We're looking for high-end jobs. That money would be better spent connecting the Franconia-Springfield Metro to Fort Belvoir," he said.
THE STADIUM AUTHORITY is looking at four other sites in Northern Virginia, as well. They include three in Arlington and one in Loudoun County. All the baseball talk is dependent on the relocation of the Montreal Expos, which isn't a done deal. Washington, D.C. and Portland, Ore. are also vying for the team, as well. A decision is expected to be reached by the All-Star Game in July. For now, the ant-stadium group is gaining momentum just in case.
"We want to start finding out who's against it. Our goal is to create a unified voice," said Albo. "This is a nonpartisan organization."
"I would hope that both Warners hear that," added Kauffman, referring to Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) and Sen. John W. Warner (R).
Stan Ried is running against Supervisor Elaine McConnell in the Republican primary in June.
"When asked where you cut costs, this is where you start," Ried said.
Caldwell looked at the other sites, particularly Potomac Yards, a site just south of Crystal City in Arlington.
"The stadium fits better there. Don't put it out in a neighborhood," he said.
As the stadium opponents gathered on one side of the street, Derrick Simon, 17, worked in his parents’ yard across the way. He wasn't aware of the stadium suggestion.
"I think it would be pretty good for the area. Traffic is bad on this road, that's the only thing," he said.
The group is collecting names via e-mail to start its "virtual" petition, as Albo loosely referred to it.
"We're now preparing a resolution that would be presented at our next meeting," he said. The e-mail address is nostadiumepg@aol.com, and the meeting will be May 7.