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Donor offers sports pavilion for bocce area; council weighs moving volleyball court and site trade‑offs
Summary
Mark Wood offered to donate a sports pavilion in memory of his wife to be sited between the bocce and volleyball courts. Designer Brandon Becker estimated moving the volleyball court would cost about $25,000; councilmembers debated alternate locations, grant/tag constraints and next steps and agreed to revisit the item at the August regular meeting.
Mark Wood offered to donate a sports pavilion in memory of his wife and proposed siting it between Sylvan Lake’s bocce and volleyball courts, a plan that would require relocating the volleyball court and a nearby light pole.
Brandon Becker, who helped design the proposed pavilion, said the preferred location would necessitate moving the volleyball court and estimated the relocation cost at about $25,000. "To move the volleyball court would be around $25,000," Becker said. Councilmember Clarke questioned the cost of moving the light pole and power lines and said the expense felt too high; Becker and City Manager Martin said the major cost driver was relocating the volleyball court.
Councilmembers discussed alternatives: placing the pavilion at the end of the bocce courts near the recreation building and kayak rack (an option Wood and some councilmembers said would feel crowded), moving the pavilion closer to the lake to avoid utility relocation costs, or shifting the volleyball court to the other end of the area to spread activity. Councilmember Buchanan said the pavilion might be better served at the end of the bocce courts by the kayaks and rec building, while Wood said he would not use Ferndale Park and preferred the proposed location or moving the pavilion back only a modest distance.
City Manager Martin noted that grants to enlarge the bocce courts would require the courts be open to the public, and that residents are required to have a sports tag for certain facilities. Jennifer Becker urged council to think long term, suggesting moving the volleyball court to spread out activity and proposing additional amenities such as a play structure or a transient dock for future consideration.
Councilmember Zubrzycki, who had earlier asked to move this item for scheduling reasons, left the meeting at 6:40 p.m. After discussion, Mayor Pro Tem Segal asked to place the pavilion item on the August regular meeting agenda for further consideration; no formal action was taken at the July 22 special meeting.
