By LARRY HILLIARD

Ledger Staff Writer

Without debate, Gaffney City Council gave city administrator James Taylor on Monday the go-ahead to determine the cost of converting Irene Park into a state-of-the-art Little League field.

In a memo sent to Gaffney City Council last week, Taylor recommended council move forward on a proposal that calls for Irene Park to become a “state-of-the-art” Little League field, including upgrades to seating, restrooms, concession stands and parking.

The upgrades would be made to attract regional and state Little League tournaments, the memo said. Luring out-of-town visitors to the park would likely free up hospitality tax revenue for the project. State law restricts the use of “H-tax” money to tourist-related projects.

Councilman Bernard Smith, who asked for the recommendation to be placed on Monday’s agenda, said now is the time to implement the stalled recommendations based, in part, on a 2001 park study because of the availability of the city’s growing hospitality tax revenue.

The tax was expected to generate around $700,000 for the city in 2004.

“I recommend the study be reopened,” Smith told his fellow council members.

Council then unanimously authorized Taylor to contact the authors of the study, Seamon Whiteside & Associates, to determine both the upgrades.

According to the 2-page memo, the upgrades also include the construction of a walking track around the park, building a new veterans park on a site where an old fire substation is now located and either repair the existing Irene Park pool or replace it with a water park similar to Barnet Park in Spartanburg.

Improvements to Azell Robbs Park, Thomson Park and Park Place as well as the former McCluney Park are also part of the proposal.