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Council approves concept layout for Hatch Park sports complex, keeps playground and pavilion
Summary
Councilors approved a concept layout converting a large city park into a sports complex with multiple softball and soccer fields, retaining a playground and pavilion and relocating the splash pad. No construction funding was identified; staff said future work may be funded through an urban renewal district.
The Umatilla City Council approved a concept layout on March 4 for Hatch Park that prioritizes sports fields and tournament-ready soccer facilities while keeping a playground and pavilion for all ages.
City staff presented a revised concept that removes the splash pad from the park design to make room for multiple diamond fields and larger soccer fields. The design includes two full, regulation-size soccer fields and a youth field, and it expands the number of little-league and adult recreation softball diamonds. Staff said the splash pad will be relocated elsewhere in the city; the playground and pavilion will remain inside Hatch Park.
Why this matters: Council and staff said the redesign responds to strong local demand for soccer and multi-field tournament capacity as youth soccer registrations continue to rise. Councilors noted constraints at an alternate site (Third Street Soccer Field) that is licensed through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and faces permitting challenges.
City staff described field sizes and usage: the softball/rec fields are planned with minimum foul-line distances in the 275–285-foot range for adult coed recreation; field lengths would need to increase to around 300–325 feet to meet high-school baseball standards, which would reduce the total number of fields on the site. Staff said the layout will accommodate Little League play through age 14, coed adult softball and regional soccer events.
Council discussion emphasized soccer demand: staff reported more than 300 youth soccer registrations in the city’s first year of the program. Council members said two full-size soccer fields are a long-sought community priority and would relieve pressure on other sites that face legal and permitting hurdles.
Funding and next steps: staff said no construction funding has been identified for Hatch Park. The council approved advancing the concept into the master plan process and asked staff to take the design to the parks-and-recreation committee for detailed engineering and a cost estimate. Staff said they will meet with a consultant to explore the possibility of using an urban renewal district to fund construction and will bring the detailed master plan back to council for adoption.
The council voted to incorporate the concept layout into the broader Hatch Park master plan and to direct staff to develop design details and funding options. The motion passed without a roll-call tally recorded in the meeting transcript.
Ending: Staff will return with engineering-level dimensions, cost estimates and a recommended funding pathway before the council considers construction authorization.
