County, city conversations revive plan for ball fields and RV park; wetlands mitigation and funding under discussion

Washington County staff said talks with the city of Hillsborough have picked up again and could lead to new ball fields and an RV campground at the fairgrounds, but officials cautioned that wetland mitigation and construction funding remain unresolved.

Anne Ober, the county’s assistant county administrator, told the Washington County Fair Board on Nov. 6 that she and Hillsborough officials had resumed discussions roughly six weeks earlier about whether the city would invest in ball fields while the county develops RV campground spaces to support year-round activity at the site. “The high level is that there have been discussions up and on for years, it sounds like, about whether or not there's a partnership opportunity where they would invest some money on the fields… and then on the RV parking portion of the property,” Ober said.

The board discussed the site shown in the county’s master plan. The plan adopted in February 2019 had envisioned ball fields, overflow parking and an RV area; board members said the original plan was paused because of cost and wetland mitigation requirements. Ober told the board the primary remaining cost driver is wetland mitigation for the ball-field/RV site; she said mitigation costs are “really expensive” and noted a figure discussed in the meeting of about $14 million for mitigation work.

Under the concept discussed, the city would mitigate and build new ball fields and a shared building with restrooms and showers. The county would be responsible for constructing the actual RV hookups and campground infrastructure, which the board estimated could cost several million dollars (county staff suggested the RV construction would be a separate county-funded phase and that TLT-funded bonding or CVB contributions could be sources). Ober said the city is interested and the county expected to have more detailed proposals in the coming weeks. “They are very interested and we're trying to figure out if we've got something here in the next 6 to 8 weeks,” she said.

Board members reviewed the site history: the county conveyed a multi-decade lease to Hillsborough in 1975 for a token annual rent; that 30-year lease expired in Feb. 2005, and the city retained control of the fields afterward without buying the property, according to board discussion. Ober and board members said the county has not received significant development funds for the site since the master plan bid process stalled.

Other contextual developments: National Guard readiness-center construction began on adjacent property, and the master plan will need amendment if the county and city change the order or footprint of the planned phases. Board members said the revived partnership could accelerate projects that have been on the county’s long-range list for years.

Why it matters: the proposal would create multiuse athletic fields for community use, upgrade fairground infrastructure and provide hooked RV stalls for fair vendors, 4-H/FFA participants and visitors. Funding, mitigation and ownership details must be resolved before construction; board members said a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) and master-plan revision will be needed if the concept advances.

Ober said she would return with updated materials at the fair board’s next meeting; board members asked for the master plan and any city proposals to review in detail.