Staff with the City of Sequim are looking to improve recreation in the city with help from some grants.
Joe Irvin, assistant to the city manager/parks manager, told Sequim city councilors on March 28 he intends to seek budget commitments for 2017 in advance to meet grant deadlines to help fund new tennis courts in Carrie Blake Park and improvements to Dr. Standard Park for Sequim Little League.
With councilors’ approval on April 11 at their regular meeting, Irvin said $60,000 would be allocated for the courts and $20,000 for Little League improvements to show the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office and its Youth Athletic Facilities funding pool that the city has matching funds for the grant requests.
He said matching tennis funds for the courts could combine with private contributions from the Peninsula Tennis Club at one-to-one along with a possible grant from the U.S. Tennis Association.
Currently, Sequim High School hosts the only public tennis courts with five, in the Sequim-Dungeness area.
Despite the commitment from tennis players, Irvin said the Carrie Blake Park Master Plan requires a road that extends from Blake Avenue to Rhodefer Road with a roundabout in the middle that leads to the new tennis courts and Guy Cole Mini-Convention Center.
The current entrance would be closed for the new route that would run between the Sequim Skate Park and Trinity United Methodist Church.
This matching grant wouldn’t support the street construction, Irvin said, but he and city staff will seek cost estimates for the April meeting.
Irvin said a the road project is currently estimated at $260,000.
City Manager Charlie Bush said they are looking to prioritize some street funding for 2017 to make the project happen.
“We do own a lot of the right of way,” Bush said.
He said the grant process can take awhile but it’s “helpful for us to get it going and harness the energy of the tennis folks.”
Irvin said funds could be freed up for the budget request at the end of the year when the city pays off its purchase of Keeler Park.
Little League grant
As for Dr. Standard Park, Irvin said volunteers with Sequim Little League created a list of projects to improve conditions. Some improvement options include installing new lighting, putting up perimeter fencing, repairing existing fencing and bleachers, and creating a docent site similar to Carrie Blake Park.
“The fact is that the fields need a lot of updates and repair,” Irvin said.
The state grant tentatively would match the city’s $20,000 contribution and $5,000 from Little League for upwards of $50,000 toward those projects.
Irvin said perimeter fencing is important, for example, because “the site is open all day and night and they find things that should not be in the park, especially where kids play.”
Recently, the city renewed its lease agreement with Sequim Little League after approving an interim agreement in February.
Dr. Standard Park is outside of the city limits and the property was donated by Maurice and Frances Sherk in 1975.
Opening day for Sequim Little League is April 16. For more on Sequim Little League, visit www.sequimlittleleague.com.
