A new aquatic center is coming to Henry County. The exact location is still up in the air.

  After a lengthy discussion regarding four potential sites for the $22 million facility – the construction of which was given the go-ahead by voters when they approved the most recent SPLOST extension – the Henry County Board of Commissioners voted on four separate motions on the issue at its Jan. 6 regular meeting.

  The only thing the board agreed on was the removal of the Jodeco Road location as a potential site. That tract was removed from the list by a 6-0 vote.

  Dee Clemmons made motion to approve the Mill Road location, contingent upon donation of the land which had reportedly been agreed to by the land owner. Contained in the motion were a number of selling points for the site that were read into the record, such the size of the property, its location near I-75, overflow parking access with neighboring businesses, hotels and restaurants nearby, future road development and improved access to Mill Road from Hwy. 81, construction of a roundabout, sidewalk access, and the fact that water and sewer are already available.

  It didn’t matter. The motion failed 3-3 as Gary Barham, Johnny Wilson and board chair Carlotta Harrell voted in opposition.

  Wilson moved to approve the location at Red Hawk Park next to the county’s administrative complex, on the east side of I-75 just off the access road between Hwy. 20/81 and Hwy. 155. It is the site that was recommended by Bob McCallister, the consultant retained by the board to guide them through this process. That motion also failed along the same voting lines, with no votes from Clemmons, Bruce Holmes and Vivian Thomas.

  Clemmons later made a motion to remove the Red Hawk location because it is across the from the county jail. Same 3-3 vote.

  As for the final proposed location at Willow Lane and Bridges Road, Wilson moved to deny it but his motion failed for lack of a second.

  Clemmons, Holmes and Thomas made known their preference for the Mill Road site during the extended discussion.

  “I think Mill Road offers us the best opportunity to build the state-of-the art facility but having a facility across from the jail does not make much sense to me,” said Holmes.

  “I am really excited about the Mill Road location,” said Thomas. “We are inviting families and children to this area, we are inviting competition teams to this area as well and in doing so they need to be close to entertainment, food, hotels. They need the accessibility and the Mill Road location offers that for them.”

  County attorney Patrick Jaugstetter reported to the board that he attended a meeting with the people who were under contract to purchase the Mill Road property and who indicated that they would donate it to the county. But Wilson questioned the land donation and Barham echoed his sentiments.

  The Red Hawk site is already owned by the county, which is one of the reasons given by Barham for its selection.

  “The site is across the street from the county administration building. We have ball fields over there that we use for tournaments,” he said. “It makes sense. It is centrally located in the county and we haven’t acquired the Mill Road property. We should move forward with county-owned property.”

  Harrell pointed out the need to have all necessary information regarding this project and stressed the importance of providing transparency.

  “Making a decision and not having all the information on each site is premature,” she said. “When we talk about taxpayer dollars, we have to be transparent with everything we do across the board and though we may have the site promised that it will be donated, we don’t actually have the site. We are elected to make informed decisions for our constituents countywide.”

  The discussion will continue at a future meeting.