School district reviews option agreement with Blaine County Recreation District for sports sites; deed restriction clarified

Director Benyon and a representative from the Blaine County Recreation District outlined an option agreement to enable joint use and potential development of two district properties: approximately 11 undeveloped acres at the mouth of Quigley and existing outdoor courts at the Cary campus.

Mark Davidson (Blaine County Recreation District) described the agreement as an option that would allow the district and the recreation district to move forward with planning and, if voters approve a related levy, to implement projects on the identified parcels. "This agreement gives us the ability to stay with some level of certainty that if we should pass a levy, we have a place that we can go implement this project," Davidson said. He said renderings and plans have been developed with district staff and the districts plan to include the proposal in a November levy request for recreation improvements.

Superintendent Fowdy clarified the Quigley parcel was donated to the district with a deed restriction limiting development to outdoor field use. "When the land at Quigley was gifted to the school district ... it was gifted, but deed restricted. And so it can only be developed for the purposes that ... we can't build a field house. We can't build workforce housing. We can't build another school. It is limited to outdoor field use only," Fowdy said.

Discussion covered potential field types (open soccer/lacrosse fields, multi-use baseball/softball diamonds) for Quigley and resurfacing or adding tennis, basketball and pickleball courts at the Cary campus. Benyon noted the district owns the sites and that improvements proposed by the recreation district would include management, operations and potentially maintenance arrangements to increase community access during non-school hours while preserving school access during instructional time.

Trustee Turner and other board members sought clarification that the item was an option, not a development agreement, and asked whether fee structures and operational responsibilities would be resolved later. Director Davidson said the option is intended to demonstrate a viable location for projects to the community as the recreation district seeks levy funding. The board agreed to place the item on the September action agenda for further consideration and more detailed terms, including any fee and maintenance agreements.