Sumner staff outline potential sale/partnership with school district for Bill Heath Sports Complex; skate park closed, repairs estimated at $182,000

City staff presented council with a proposed partnership and possible purchase-and-sale approach with the local school district to fund major improvements at the Bill Heath Sports Complex, a seven‑acre facility that the city said is worn, underfunded and requires near‑term capital work.

Jason (city staff) summarized the property history, ownership pattern and current conditions. The city owns approximately seven acres on the south side of the complex, including the baseball field, concession stand and skate park; the school district owns adjacent parcels on the north side near Daffodil Valley Elementary. Jason said the complex’s primary users are the school district and the Wolfpack football program.

Skate park condition: staff reported the skate park “has widespread structural issues that require immediate attention. It’s currently in poor condition and end of life,” and the facility has been closed since November. The contractor Grindline, which built the original park, inspected the site and estimated roughly $182,000 would be needed to address the immediate structural failures shown in photos; full replacement on the site would cost about $1 million, staff said. The immediate repairs estimate does not include required drainage improvements beneath the bowl that staff said also must be resolved.

School district proposal and scope: staff said the district has approached the city seeking additional field space and is proposing new synthetic turf fields, lighting upgrades, restrooms and concession improvements, a toddler playground, and reconfiguration of tennis and pickleball courts. Jason said the district’s planned capital work on its parcels would be in addition to the city’s portion and that the district is the logical partner or purchaser for the site if the city wants to see turf and lighting installed quickly.

Constraints and legal context: the city noted that the parkland was donated in earlier decades with deed restrictions that require the land to be used for playground or recreational facilities. Any transfer to the district would require a public process for an intergovernmental transfer; staff said price negotiations would occur in executive session. Nonmonetary terms staff recommended for inclusion in any purchase-and-sale agreement included: the property must remain parkland, the Bill Heath name must be retained, the facility remain open and available to the public, the district must prioritize capital improvements on a defined schedule and the skate park must be mitigated (demolished and restored to grass) if it cannot be rebuilt in place.

Operations and maintenance: staff said maintenance of the complex currently consumes about a quarter of a full-time equivalent staff year and that the YMCA has handled reservations and gate access while city crews perform field prep and maintenance tasks. The city also cited an existing 30‑year fiber lease with Astound that staff said could be moved to Rainier View Park if the city transferred the complex to the district.

Council feedback and next steps: council members voiced split views. Several council members supported a partnership that would deliver turf fields and other improvements without a city capital levy; others raised concerns about relinquishing city ownership of a valued park, the need for public outreach and the city’s ability to ensure ongoing maintenance standards. Staff proposed a loose timeline: negotiate a purchase-and-sale agreement over the next months, conduct public outreach (including the April open house), set a public hearing (anticipated in June), and, if approved, pass an ordinance to surplus and transfer care and control to the school district. Staff said they would begin negotiations and outreach and return to council with specific documents and a public hearing schedule.