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Salina OKs staff work to pursue Boys & Girls Club site near Bondy Field
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Summary
City staff and commissioners directed staff to draft a lease and pursue land‑use steps for a proposed Boys & Girls Club facility on city park land north of Bondy Field after public meetings; the club says it has raised about half the funds and hopes to break ground this summer.
Salina city staff told commissioners on Feb. 23 that they have narrowed a proposed Boys & Girls Club facility to a site just north of Bondy Field in Sunset Park and asked for a commission consensus to continue negotiations.
The city manager said staff conducted a public meeting after an earlier study session and that many baseball users, including the Mexican American baseball league, had opposed removing the existing field. Staff showed maps and renderings of a schematic facility located where the tennis courts once were and described requested city commitments including a long‑term lease, planning/rezoning, and extension of water and sewer lines. Staff estimated water and sewer extension costs in the range of $40,000 to $60,000 and said parking and road improvements will be evaluated later.
Lance Patterson, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club, told the commission the organization has begun serving children in Salina at Oakdale Elementary, is serving about 30 children per day there, and has raised roughly half the money required for the proposed building. "I'm Lance Patterson. I'm the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club," Patterson said. He said the club will pursue grant funding, including from the Mabee Foundation, and hopes to move toward groundbreaking this summer if approvals proceed.
Commissioners asked detailed questions about site access, parking, nearby restrooms and Drainage. Staff said the facility can be accessed from outside the park and that restroom upgrades in the area are already on the department list. Commissioners also discussed preserving playing opportunities for neighborhood users; staff said it has met repeatedly with the Mexican American baseball group and that those users have offered to help improve the remaining baseball field.
By the end of the discussion the commission directed staff to proceed: draft a lease, start land‑use work and return with numbers and a formal proposal. The city manager said staff expects to bring back budget estimates and a lease draft within about 30 days.
Next steps: Staff will draft a lease and return to the commission with cost estimates and a land‑use plan for formal action.
