Plans to build a new youth sports field in our community are moving ahead slowly but surely. The club has used the money we raised with our club auctions to complete all of the surveys, studies and plans needed to apply for a conditional use permit through Clackamas County.
Here are the highlights from the last 12 months of work:
• Willamette United secured a “similar use decision”. Before we could apply for a conditional use permit (needed for construction) we had to get “sports fields” added to the list of approved facilities that may be considered for a conditional use permit.
• We have completed all of the studies, surveys, reports and plans needed as part of the conditional use permit application process. This includes but is not limited to traffic studies, environmental studies, hydrological studies, soil testing, site surveying and preliminary construction budgets.
• The conditional use permit application has been completed and all pertinent reports are included.
• We have communicated with 15 different local youth sports organizations and we have verbal commitments for over 65% of the available field time at the park the day it opens. This includes almost all of the West Linn and Wilsonville Youth Sports organizations.
• We have the large financing pieces in place to pay for the $14.1 million construction budget. The financing package will include existing revenue, new revenue streams specific to the park, donations, a SNAP loan through a bank and a substantial investment from a private group. We will also be applying for multiple grants.
In order to begin construction next year we need to get our park designers working on all of the drawings and plane specific for the site prep and excavation. That piece of the project is going to cost approximately $250,000. We will begin an aggressive capital campaign in 2019 in order to immediately raise the money needed to get the site prep plan completed.
Our goal is to secure a conditional use permit in the first quarter of 2019. If we receive a positive decision we will break ground as soon as the weather allows. If we secure the conditional use permit in early 2019 we hope for a fall 2020 park opening.
You can learn more at www.wufcsouthlake.com.
