Ballfields in Maple Valley are few and far between, and the solutions are as tricky as the infield fly rule in baseball.
The city staff presented the current master plan for the Summit Park and ballfields to the City Council at the Monday study session.
The staff presented the preliminary master plan to the council March 1 and at the Monday study session more information was provided to the members.
The park is about 22 acres located at the intersection of S.E. 276th Street and state Route 169.
The land was purchased from the Tahoma School District in 2006.
Three options were presented to the council Monday to get the ball rolling with 1A proposing an unlit tennis court, entry road, parking, trailhead, but no sports fields.
The 1B phase adds one lighted rectangular sports field to the 1A plan and third phase, 1C, adds a lighted youth softball/baseball field. None of these phases included restrooms or concession stands.
The finished plan would have four fields, two lighted soccer/lacrosse fields, two lighted baseball/softball fields with parking, tennis and basketball courts, a picnic and play area and a fitness trail.
The park also has a challenge, a Bonneville Power Administration 375-foot wide easement cuts diagonally across the property. There is currently a 230 kilovolt line running across the site and BPA has stated it will likely build a second 500 kilovolt line in the future.
The staff stated issues with the power lines, including the effects of electric magnetic fields and nuisance shocks, have been considered.
However, Deputy Mayor Victoria Laise Jonas stated she could not support the master plan as it is with the power lines running across two of the fields and Councilwoman Linda Johnson agreed the power lines concerned her as well.
Jonas said during a phone interview, since hearing testimony from a BPA official March 1, “it has been weighing heavily on my heart. This was extremely difficult for me to bring this up. I understand the needs for parks.”
Jonas said BPA officials have stated the easements were not intended for use as parks and ballfields.
“We need to realize there will be issues,” Jonas said.
Jonas said she understood the National Health Institute has stated there is no proof electric magnetic fields cause illness, but research is continuing on the health effects.
The deputy mayor said people with pacemakers and medical implants “could not participate in field activities.”
Jonas stated at the meeting one of the reasons she feels so strongly is about 20 years ago in the neighborhood where she lived, a baby boy was born with leukemia and died. The family was living near high-voltage power lines and the parents felt the lines caused the boys death.
“It has always haunted me,” Jonas said.
Councilman Dana Parnello stated he thought the power lines were a “legitimate concern from a nuisance perspective. Playing soccer under 500 (kv) lines – it is loud, but they are not living under them.”
Councilman Bill Allison said Maple Valley would not be the “first community to have parks under power lines. Plenty of communities utilize space under power lines.”
Councilwoman Erin Weaver said “ideally we wish it wasn’t under power lines. But the city purchased the land and kids will not be living under power lines”
Johnson said she thought the “plan was wonderful except for the 500 (kv) lines.”
Jonas said she cannot “support the master plan as it is designed today. Let’s do some compromise. It’s not all or nothing.”
Parks and Recreations Director Greg Brown said he wants to come up with a plan “the entire council can get behind.”
The problem for Brown is time is very short to apply for grant money to get the initial phase of project rolling – about a month.
According to staff documents, a voter approved bond for the entire project would check in at $14.9 million. The council has not made a decision about a placing a bond on a ballot.
