Zoning approved for fairground arena

The effort by Columbia County officials to build a multipurpose facility at the fairgrounds on Columbia Road cleared a hurdle Tuesday when commissioners approved a rezoning.

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The rezoning of the nearly 60-acre fairgrounds allows for the building of a planned 60,000- to 70,000-square-foot facility capable of seating about 7,500 people and holding a multitude of events.

Though the fairgrounds are owned by the Merchants Association, the multipurpose stadium would be operated by the county. The facility would include a covered arena and an exhibit hall.

County officials are working on a deal with the Merchants Association to allow the county use of the fairgrounds.

Also Tuesday, commissioners approved a $25,000 grant to help The Salvation Army build the Augusta-based Kroc Center.

Featuring facilities for arts, aquatics and recreation, the Kroc Center will be a community service center. It was made possible with a $67.8 million grant from the Joan B. Kroc Foundation.

To qualify for the Kroc endowment, however, the community must raise $20 million to construct the center, which will be on about 17 acres off Broad Street in the Harrisburg neighborhood.

Also receiving a monetary donation from commissioners was the Martinez Evans Little League to improve its playing fields.

Using recreation discretionary funds from the 2006-10 1-cent sales tax, the commission approved a $52,360 grant to the Little League group for such items as sidewalk construction, a playground, and protective netting over the stands at its home fields -- Crawford Creek Baseball Park off Old Belair Road.

Commissioners failed to vote on an ordinance to require those seeking an occupational license, or business license, to provide a valid photo identification.

Officials were unsure Tuesday whether the requirement complies with state statutes and wanted county attorney Doug Batchelor to review the ordinance revision before voting on it.

Once Batchelor has reviewed the issue, it will be taken back to the county Development Services Committee for debate.