Memorial Field design contract OK'd

SANDPOINT — A decision regarding the turf and other improvements at War Memorial Field was once again split between the six City Council members on Wednesday.

The decision went to Mayor Shelby Rognstad to break the tie and he, again, voted to move forward with the design that includes installing artificial turf at the field.

“I didn’t support the original decision and I don’t think I can support this one either,” said Councilwoman Shannon Williamson, who voted no on the design concept last month along with council members Bill Aitken and Joel Aispuro.

The trio of council members voted no on a design services contract with Bernardo Wills Architects for $300,000 on Wednesday, as they did with the Oct. 16 vote regarding the final design concept proposed by the city’s consultant’s, GreenPlay, LLC. Rognstad broke the previous tie as well, citing the increased playability artificial turf will bring for the area’s student athletes for “years to come.”

During the public comment portion of Wednesday’s meeting, a couple of residents from the south Sandpoint neighborhood around Memorial Field said they would like to see more time for the neighborhood to learn more about the design and provide feedback. One neighbor said that longer hours at the field would be a negative impact on the neighborhood because of the stadium lights and noise. He said he felt the decision was rushed and a natural grass surface was not even presented as an option. He asked that council put the decision off long enough to learn the cost of the alternative.

Another neighbor said she is also concerned about the impact to neighborhood, because every event that is held there “comes into (her) home,” by sight, by sound and by parking. A “substantial” increase in traffic would impact the neighborhood “greatly,” she said, asking council to reconsider.

In addition to artificial turf, GreenPlay’s concept design includes a number of other improvements to Memorial Field as well, including an expanded parking lot to get some of the vehicles off of the residential streets surrounding the venue, as well as the addition of a softball field, softball and baseball grandstands, an improved boat launch, a fenced dog park area and more.

According to the agenda request form for the contract with Bernardo Wills, the artificial field surfaces to be considered under the contract will only include natural infill options such as cork, coconut or a combination thereof. In addition, the consultant has entered into an agreement with Dave Nygren, the former production manager for the Festival at Sandpoint, as a subconsultant to ensure the logistics needs of the Festival are adequately considered and incorporated into the final design, said Parks and Recreation Director Kim Woodruff.

In response to a concern by Aitken that construction may not be completed in time for the Festival next summer, City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton said the design process would include breaking the project down into phases in order to ensure that did not happen. The first phase, she said, would be limited to the field itself and other elements critical to Festival in July and school sports in August. The second phase, which would occur after the Festival, would include the parking lot and other improvements that could wait.

Design services are scheduled to begin immediately, with the final design scheduled for completion by February 2020 and a construction contract slated to be awarded in March. The schedule is structured to accommodate the Festival by July 31 and playable use of the fields in August.

Dell Hatch with Bernardo Wills said they would be kicking off meetings right away with user groups as well, including school athletics and the Festival. In addition, a public workshop will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. Monday in council chambers at City Hall, 1123 Lake St. Stapleton said members of the public, especially residents from the neighborhood and other users such as boaters, are encouraged to attend and discuss final design elements. Samples of the artificial turf and natural infill options being considered will also be available.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.