PORT ANGELES — Civic Field is in need of its largest renovation since the concrete grandstand was built in 1979, the city’s parks commission was told Thursday.
The facility is at risk of losing its night games because aging lights and poor field drainage continues to be a major problem throughout most of the year, said Corey Delikat, city parks and streets superintendent, citing the findings of a recent assessment of the facility.
The $30,000 Civic Field assessment, conducted by Bruce Dees & Associates of Tacoma, includes a prioritized list of 21 improvements that could be made to the 36-year-old facility used for football, soccer and baseball games.
It also lists how much options for making the improvements may cost.
For example, two options are offered under the top priority, field drainage.
Both include reconstruction of the drainage system, but the choice is between continuing to use natural turf or going with a synthetic version.
The natural turf option has a price tag of between $1.4 million and $1.7 million, while synthetic turf would cost between $2.4 million and $3 million, according to the assessment.
Poor field drainage puts games at risk of being relocated from fall through spring.
During the meeting, the Parks, Recreation & Beautification Commission discussed potential funding sources with staff for retrofitting the field.
State grants that would cover half the cost could be pursued, Deputy Recreation Director Richard Bonine said, but that could be another two or three years away.
Any other options could also take as long, said Glenn Cutler, city public works and utilities director. Cutler oversees the city’s parks division.
Sponsorships were briefly discussed.
So was requesting that voters approve a bond.
“I can tell you that there’s no money in the general fund sitting there waiting for somebody to say let’s do it on this particular project,” Cutler told the commission.
Scott Moseley, coach of the Port Angeles High School girls soccer team, said during an interview Thursday that switching to synthetic turf would pay off in the long run.
“They would have a lot more usability for both school events, civic events, city league activities, and so it’s going to benefit the city all around,” he said.
Moseley said the team, which plays from the beginning of September to the end of October, during some seasons has to play a game or two at Shane Park during because the field is too muddy.
“If it’s a wet season, basically the field becomes unplayable,” he said.
“It just gets to the point where it is unsafe.”
The school’s boys soccer team is more affected because it plays from March to April after the turf has taken a beating from heavy use during the fall and winter, said Moseley, who is that team’s assistant coach.
The boys team fared well this year due to a dry winter, but had to relocate or delay four games in 2009, he said.
Field lighting is also a safety issue, Delikat said.
The city is losing about two lights a year at the field, he said, and replacement parts are no longer made.
Night games may have to be discontinued within the next five years, he said.
The lights are in such a poor shape that one was found during the assessment to be a risk of falling. An ambulance crew stands underneath or near the light during games, Delikat said.
That light was removed.
Upgrading the field lights would cost between $575,000 and $845,000. Replacing the lighting system all together would cost between $676,000 and $845,000.
Another high priority is replacing the boiler, which is needed to provide hot showers to athletes.
Replacing the boiler, which broke in 2007, would cost anywhere between $40,000 and $96,000, depending on whether an electric or gas version is used.
Staff members will present the same information to the City Council at its Tuesday meeting.
The presentation will be information only. Staff are not requesting action be taken yet.
“It’s going to take time,” Cutler said. “We have to digest it and understand what’s there.”
________
Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.