Port Angeles wins donated inflatable building
By Brian Gawley, Peninsula Daily News
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"Now is the time to get busy and work out the details," said James Schouten, a Peninsula Tennis Club member who spearheaded the effort to obtain the building, which is being donated by an anonymous tennis enthusiast.
"Now that it is finalized, and we do have ownership, we definitely have to go through more formal procedures with city government," he said.
The Port Angeles City Council has made no decision about where the inflated building would be placed, although the initial proposal was to put it on a parking lot and grass plot at Erickson Playfield, near the YMCA.
"Now the real work will begin," said Mayor Karen Rogers, "including the public hearings and public process and site location."
"I look forward to working with everyone to make the project happen," she said.
"The parks oversight committee will discuss it and probably the parks board too."
The Pacific Northwest division of the U.S. Tennis Association sought applications earlier this month from nonprofit organizations for the donation of a air-supported building, dubbed "The Bubble" by its manufacturer.
The Clallam County Family YMCA agreed to submit the application.
The building - offered free if shipping costs are paid - is now in storage at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Shipping costs
"A number of people" have offered to pay shipping costs from Washington, D.C. - estimated at between $6,000 and $20,000 - and another tennis club member has offered his airplane hangar for storage, Schouten said.
Schouten said USTA officials are "a little overwhelmed" right now with the 2007 Davis Cup finals being held this weekend in Portland, Ore.
So they will iron out the details with the USTA sometime next week, he said.
The City Council unanimously agreed on Nov. 7 to support the effort, with some conditions.
Those included a preference for locating the building in the city if possible, but without designating a specific location now; limiting the financial impact on city residents; and encouraging a cooperative agreement to operate and maintain the building.
City Manager Mark Madsen said the project would require a permit application, staff review, and possibly a planning commission review and a State Environmental Policy Act analysis as well.
Costs of building
The site work to prepare an area for the building would cost an estimated $500,000 to $550,000.
No estimate has been given for the cost of maintenance.
Schouten has proposed using $150,000 that the YMCA had set aside for a previous field house proposal and seven annual payments of $50,000 from the city's lodging taxes that also were committed to the previous field house proposal.
The YMCA has agreed to use its $150,000 for the field house.
But the city's lodging tax advisory committee has not agreed to reallocate the seven annual payments of $50,000.
YMCA Executive Director Dan Maguire said an agreement must be negotiated to allow the YMCA to operate the building if it is located on city property.
Building location
City Councilman Gary Braun - who also serves on the council's parks and recreation oversight committee - said deciding upon a site for the building will be an interesting discussion for the council.
It could be more interesting because the City Council that unanimously supported the YMCA pursuing the donated building in November will have three new faces in January due to the Nov. 6 general election results - Cherie Kidd, Don Perry and Dan DiGuilio.
Councilwoman Betsy Wharton said that the city needs an indoor sports facility, but that council members must careful about the long-term financial commitment they make for city residents.
City Councilman Larry Williams said, "I'm glad for Schouten and I'm looking forward to seeing the YMCA's proposal come forward."
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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached at 360-417-3532 or brian.gawley@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: November 29. 2007 9:00PM