Park board gets go-ahead to move forward on sports complex plans

    Park board members received a verbal go-ahead to proceed with plans for developing a sports complex in the Cornerstone property.
    The three members present at Monday’s council meeting supported last week’s Citizens Advisory Committee’s unanimous recommendation to donate Lots 1 and 2 in Block 6 of Cornerstone for the project.
    The CAC put a two-year time period for development of the complex in its motion.
    An updated plan for three baseball/softball fields and a U12 soccer field was shown Monday by Dale Schilke with Engineering International, who’s been working with the park board on the project.
    Park board chairman Miles Colson said they’ve looked for a long time at upgrades at Schroeder Park or construction of a new facility.
    “Based on a lot of input, the park board has decided, given the expenses of developing Schroeder vs. cost of putting a new facility on a larger, new site, the cost is similar,” Colson said.
    Improvements studied for Schroeder not only have included field changes/upgrades, but also a new concession stand, lights and restrooms, he noted.
    “We could have a lot of advantages with a new site not being constrained with the geography of Schroeder Park and those limitations,” he said.
    Other locations for a new site were not fruitful, Colson added.
    “So we came back to the possibility of utilizing a couple of lots at Cornerstone,” he said.
    With the CAC approval at its Oct. 11 meeting to donate the lots, Colson said he and fellow board member, Brad Foote, were at Monday’s meeting to ask the council to approve that recommendation.
    He said in past visits with CCS board members, they have been supportive of the effort financially, with a new softball field included in the plans, he added. Like they do at Schroeder, CCS would play its softball games there.
    While plans were reviewed Monday with Schilke, it was emphasized they are not final. With the council’s go-ahead, the park board and engineers can develop them further.
    Council members Doug Gaswick, Craig Loeffler and Charlesa Kline all indicated they wanted the city’s engineer, Miller & Associates, involved in the project, as well.
    Jan Elliott, who chairs the CAC, was at the meeting, and noted there are two other commercial lots available in Cornerstone with Lots 1 and 2 being used for the complex.
    There’s been no interest in commercial lots in Cornerstone for 18 months, she said.
    The city has the two lots to be used valued at $293,000. The two lots include 9.77 acres.
    In its 2021-22 budget, $500,000 was allotted for park improvements. Grant funds will also be sought.
    Pribbeno said a Game & Parks grant if received would likely be the largest they could get, but COVID funds the state is still holding could also be some new money for this project.