WAITSBURG – With the demise of horse racing at the Waitsburg Fairgrounds, and the agreement that future racing events are unlikely, the city of Waitsburg is looking at how to make the space more usable and relevant. At the Sept. 16 City Council meeting, board members approved a three-year plan to transform the fairgrounds into a space they hope will meet many current community needs.

A major change to the facility will be the development of a Little League baseball complex. The complex will consist of four fields, able to accommodate different ages and skill levels, as well as an area dedicated specifically to soccer activities. The race track will be planted in grass and the inner rail removed to allow space for the sports areas.

A grassy strip, toward the back of the fairgrounds will be added for RV camping and as a staging area for ATV events. That area, which was used for camping and staging during this year's Celebration Days event, will include water, and possibly electricity at the camp sites.

Plans also include the demolition of the existing wood horse barn and moving a set of portable stalls to that site. The city plans to remove the announcer's booth in order to open up the area in front of the grandstands, making it available for other activities. A dirt strip would be left in order to accommodate the mud pit for the ATV challenge events.

Future improvements include the possibility of vending areas, development of a covered arena by the horse stalls, and a gazebo by the 10th street fairgrounds entrance.

The plan has been broken into three phases, beginning this year.

2015: Develop the first Little League field on the former softball field; plant pasture grass along the east side of the field for the future RV park; gravel the remaining area to the north.

2016: Demolish the horse barn and relocate portable stalls; remove infield barrier; plant grass along the horse track; expand the irrigation system; develop the remaining Little League fields including backstops and dugouts; provide an area for soccer field development.

2017: Install water and power for the RV park; build a covered riding arena; consider the addition of covered areas to the RV park; consider expanding the RV part to the east, if usage warrants. Depending of usage, vending and seating could be added to baseball/soccer area to accommodate larger crowds.

Waitsburg City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said the city has submitted a grant application to Pacific Power for construction of the Little League complex.

"The city crew would do the inner rail removal and reseed the track, so from a budgetary perspective, it won't cost a lot and will be included in the city's budget for the fairgrounds department," he added.