Funding for new parking at the Albert Haller Playfields is complete thanks to a sizable donation from the Albert Haller Foundation.

Last week, the group announced a $140,294 grant to help pay for 55 new parking spots near the fields and to create one-way vehicle access from Blake Avenue to Rhodefer Road through the Water Reuse Site, north of Carrie Blake Park.

Dave Blake, a member of the Haller Foundation board of directors, said they are excited to partner with the city and Sequim Family Advocates to expand parking and vehicle access for the playfields and the James Center for the Performing Arts.

“This type of cooperation between private and public organizations is something that Albert Haller would have been very proud of,” Blake said.

City staff estimate construction beginning June 1 and finishing July 31 prior to the Dungeness Cup soccer tournament on Aug. 5-7.

To fully fund the project, the foundation’s grant combines with $140,000 from the City of Sequim, which city councilors approved in November 2015, and $30,000 from in-kind city engineering and project management services, $20,000 from the Sequim Family Advocates, $10,000 from Sequim Junior Soccer, $2,000 from Storm King Soccer Club and $2,000 from Sequim FC Adult League.

Joe Irvin, Sequim’s assistant to the city manager/parks manager, said the current parking lot can’t accommodate the high volume of users during routine use and especially while hosting tournaments/events.

“As a result, when the existing lot is full, vehicles are parked on any available grass near the playfields and along both shoulders of Rhodefer Road, which is not safe,” he said.

Parking concerns

Funding was in place for a similar project once before.

Last year, the advocates returned $128,000 to the Albert Haller Foundation, which previously granted funds for parking, after a series of events led the project to be shelved.

Phase II of the advocates’ project, the first part being the playfields, originally included 64 parking spots by the bandshell, which city councilors approved in 2011 but a disagreement over installation of grass pavers led the advocates to pursue other options.

Instead, they pursued parking on Rhodefer Road and spent about $20,000 but learned the Army Corps of Engineers denied the plans because it was identified in December 2014 as a jurisdictional wetland that can’t be paved over.

Advocates revisited the original 64 parking spot proposal following prompts from representatives with the Albert Haller Foundation who received numerous complaints about safety at the playfields.

City staff and advocates disagreed over design standards again but city councilors later heard testimony from parking lot supporters in August and designated city staff to pursue new options. This led to the new parking proposal.

Dave Shreffler, president of Sequim Family Advocates, said the advocates are “delighted to make these urgently needed safety and parking improvements.”

“These improvements will benefit the whole community and the project is a testament to partnerships and perseverance.”

The new parking project is part of the City of Sequim’s recently adopted Carrie Blake Park Master Plan.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.