Randy Hinchliffe: city of Waitsburg

After many years under lease by the Days of Real Sport, Inc., the city of Waitsburg took back control of the Waitsburg Fairgrounds facility in 2005. The city proceeded to annex the property into the city limits and set up rules and guidelines for the use of the facility. In addition, we attempted to keep up with the multitude of deferred maintenance items present at the facility as a means to make them more attractive and usable again.

With the end of small track horse racing in Washington and the discontinuation of the annual Lions Club softball tournament, the city needed to figure out a new use for the facility. City staff came up with a reasonable plan to revitalize the facility, which included the installation of a little league complex, removal of the inner race track rail, grassing in of the track, demolition of a couple of the failing horse stalls, and other general improvements to help encourage more use of the grounds.

However, the city’s plan was met with some opposition over concerns related to the facility’s link to the city’s past. These concerns, coupled with other proposed uses for the facility, led the city council to form the Friends of the Fairgrounds committee in May 2016. The purpose of this committee was to evaluate the fairgrounds to come up with recommendations for the city council on how to revitalize and reuse the facility. Though some ideas have been proposed, no plan has been decided on yet.

And plans might change based on the future of the grandstands. In the time since the Friends of the Fairgrounds committee was formed, the city has been forced to close off the grandstands due to a lack of structural integrity and safety concerns voiced by the city’s insurance company.

A fairgrounds task force made the recommendation to the city council that they put an advisory item on the next city election ballot regarding the grandstands. The council took that recommendation and is asking for community input regarding the future of the structure.

As the grandstands sit now, two structural engineers have deemed it unsafe for public use. This leaves the city with several options: tear it down at a cost of approximately $20,000, with the city’s insurance company contributing $5,000, as this removes liability to the city, for a net cost of $15,000; rehabilitate it using contractor Richard Nicely, who gave a bid of $41,000, which he says will allow him to bring it up to safety standards (this price does not include contingencies); or $500,000 to tear it down and build a new structure.

It should be noted that if council approves either rehabilitating or rebuilding the structure, it will result in a property tax increase to cover debt service on a general obligation loan that will be required to cover the costs associated with the rehabilitation/rebuilding.

The city council will take into account the results of the advisory item in making their ultimate decision. Council urges anyone who has an opinion on what to do with the structure to attend the March 21st council meeting at 7 p.m. at the Lions Club Memorial Building at the fairgrounds.

The path forward for the fairgrounds master plan takes two very different forms depending on whether there are grandstands or not.

If you cannot attend the meeting but still want to comment, you can send an e-mail to me at rjhinch@gotvc.net or mail/drop off a letter at city Hall, P.O. Box 35, Waitsburg, WA.