Woodstock Reviews Scaled Back Amphitheater Design

The Woodstock City Council continues to move forward with its vision of building a permanent venue for its concerts.

The council reviewed a scaled back design of its amphitheater, which would be built at the Park at City Center.

The project would be funded with Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax dollars. Its original cost estimate in 2011 was just over $2 million. That project’s design included restrooms and concessions on the upper level, a band shell with large brick sound towers, lawn terraces with extensive electrical and brick features and substantial trees and landscaping.

The plan also called for brick fencing along Arnold Mill Road with gates suitable for ticketed events, if needed.

The new design reviewed by the council on Monday eliminates the upper level restrooms and concessions, the extensive brick work and the large sound towers.

It now includes a functional band shell, with restrooms for daily park use and lawn terraces with concrete formed walls instead of brick. The fence design is much smaller and does not include gates for ticketed events. The design is fully compliant with the American with Disabilities Act.

Woodstock Parks and Recreation Director Preston Pooser said the cost will most likely still hover around $2 million. Woodstock currently has over $3 million dollars allocated for parks and recreation improvements in the current SPLOST cycle.

“The great thing about SPLOST funding is that the tax burden to the city of Woodstock resident is minimal,” Pooser told Patch. “Every time someone shops and purchases anything in Woodstock, including at the Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta and at the new Cabela’s, the city gets a portion of that sale in SPLOST. What that means is a huge portion of the amphitheater is going to be paid for by people from surrounding cities, counties and even other states.”

If it desires, the council could also choose to use parks and recreation impact fees to fund the project.

Once the amphitheater is constructed, the goal will “be to produce enough ongoing revenue to cover most of the operational costs of the facility,” Pooser added.

The city’s annual Summer Concert Series currently brings in between $80,000 and $90,000 in cash and in-kind sponsorships. Woodstock has the opportunity for naming rights and other funding opportunities it will pursue between now and the facility’s opening, Pooser said.

The city hopes to go out to bid soon on the initiative and start construction in 2015. The project could take between nine months and a year to complete, and Pooser hopes to complete the project in time for the 2016 Summer Concert Series.

Council member Warren Johnson noted he felt the council needed more concrete cost estimates before it could make a final decision. City Manager Jeff Moon said the bids will come back before the council to consider.

Mayor Donnie Henriques during Monday’s meeting noted he felt “comfortable” with the new design, adding the initial design was a bit “grandiose.”

“Scaling it back…somewhat, I think, is a good thing,” he added.

Council woman Liz Baxter agreed, adding she felt the latest design was ”more attractive to me” that the previous design.

Council member Leonard said he believed the city could possibly add new features and landscaping as time goes by.

“I think this is like…buying your basic car and adding features onto it later,” Leonard, who owns an automobile shop, said.

(Photo: design for the city of Woodstock’s amphitheater. Credit: city of Woodstock)