MAPLETON — With more than half of its residents taking a swing at city-run recreational programs and only a few small parks to field them, Mapleton is worried its growing horde of Little Leaguers won't have anywhere to play.

In order to keep the games going, the city plans to take out a $3.5 million bond to purchase recreation land.

"Based on the volume of participation in recreational programs, it has become clear that this is important to residents," Mayor Jim Brady said. "The city wants to support that interest, and we can't do that without spending money."

Enrollment in the city's recreation programs more than doubled over the past four years, and city officials expect it will keep on growing.

The city is having trouble accommodating all the sports teams it already has, Brady said.

"By the time we schedule all the fields we are bulging at the seams," he said. "Our largest park is completely covered in teams during the soccer season. Right now we have to use schools in order to make programs work."

City planners currently have their eyes on a 20-acre parcel at 355 S. 1600 West.

The owner agreed to sell for $2.55 million, and the City Council is jumping at the opportunity. With new subdivisions popping up all over the city, Brady said it is becoming increasingly difficult to find parcels large enough to accommodate a park or recreation center.

Brady said he expects the land deal to close soon, but the city doesn't plan on developing the land for several years. The city council won't even discuss how to use the land until after the next election in November, he said.

Even so, it made "economic sense" to purchase the land now rather than waiting until the city had a definitive plan for its use, Brady said. Mapleton has seen a dramatic increase in real estate prices over the past few years.

"Realizing prices have never gone down, we wanted to buy some of the largest pieces of land before they go to houses," he said.

The city hopes to repay the bond using revenue generated from impact fees, Brady said. Developers are currently required to pay $4,000 per lot to support recreation in the city.

Just as cities are defined by their commercial centers or museums, Mapleton is defined by its recreation program, said Stacey Child, Mapleton's parks and recreation director. The city code actually requires at least 6 acres of recreational land for every 1,000 people, she said.

"Your community is as strong as your recreational programs," Child said. "It's where your community meets its neighbors."

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