Columbia County Commissioner Steve Brown says the possibility of The Family Y's locating at the county's Blanchard Woods Park is now all but dead.

"The reason the Y backed out was because they weren't going to spend $8 million on a 10-year term - period. And I agree with them,'' said Mr. Brown, referring to a lease agreement with the Y that by law would have had to be renewed after 10 years or the land and possible Y building at the park could have become county property.

As a result, Mr. Brown said, he is now proposing that the county look at having its own structure at the 150-acre park, but it would be much different from the aquatic facility that The Family Y considered for 14 acres at the location.

"It would be nice to have a skeleton of a building,'' Mr. Brown said. "Now, I'm not talking about something that's totally elaborate ... but something that's sort of an outdoor pavilion that provides some shade and places where people could go take a cooler and eat lunch.''

Originally, The Family Y was wanting to have a facility with an aquatic center and other offerings placed at the Blanchard Woods Park site.

That plan began to look less likely as Family Y officials informed the county in a Jan. 30 e-mail that it had concerns about the 10-year lease of the park's 14 acres.

Millie Schumacher, the public relations director for The Family Y, said the Blanchard Woods Park site has been a top consideration and hasn't been ruled out, "but to this point we just haven't been able to work out the details to everyone's satisfaction.''

Ms. Schumacher said, "We actually have three other locations that we are presently evaluating, and we really liked the location of Blanchard park, and one of the three others is actually very close to that location.''

She said the Family Y also will soon announce a move to a larger interim location in Columbia County while the organization looks for a permanent one.

County commission Chairman Ron Cross said he still has hope for a Family Y location at Blanchard Woods, but he said he knows a big hurdle exists.

"I think to have the Y there and have an aquatic center that they maintain and manage would be great for the county and great for the citizens of the county, but under the present legalities it doesn't look like they're willing to do that,'' Mr. Cross said.

Reach Preston Sparks at 868-1222, ext. 115, or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com.