Capitol Little League is requesting assistance to relocate its playing fields as its lease for the property is about to surge next year.
The League currently leases 10.6 acres of airport property as its fields for the amount of $9,177. This rate is about to explode to about $81,000 next year and $160,000 by February 1, 2025.
“Frankly, we can't pay that; it is prohibitive,” said Jessica Clark, vice president of Capitol Little League, to the Port of Olympia commission on Monday, June 12, during public comments.
The League has been leasing the property since 1999. Clark explained that they built the ballfields through 24 years of donations and volunteer help.
“In 24 years, we have taken an empty lot and turned it into eight playable ball fields with dugouts, Little League-approved breakaway faces, fencing, scoreboards, grandstands, a concession stand, field equipment sheds, and two large storage containers for offseason equipment storage,” reported Clark. We have electricity, water, and irrigation on the fields. All that has been built with donations, and volunteer help.”
Russel Gies, a League board member, also spoke about the scope of games held at the fields. Just at the League’s spring season, which ended last week, the fields had 75 teams of over 1,000 players. They are now also getting ready for 13 post-season teams composed of 150 players, which are planned to start playing this Saturday.
The fields are open Monday to Saturday, with one of their eight fields configured for children in wheelchairs.
Clark said that they have no other viable place to go without drastically cutting the number of players they can accommodate. She mentioned Yauger Park, Rainier Vista, LBA Park, but none of these fields are enough to accommodate all their games. She also said that Tumwater has fields that are only suitable for T-ball and machine pitch and that they are mostly used by local softball organizations.
“We frankly need 20 acres of land and lots of money to rebuild what we have built over the last 24 years. We need help,” she said.
Loris Gies, president of Capitol Little League, told The JOLT that they are working to set up an open meeting together with the Port, the League board, and parents. They are also set to meet with Tumwater’s city manager and park director on June 21.
The property has eight ball fields and is located on the corner of 76th Avenue and New Market Street, a piece of land under the Olympia Regional Airport.
“The Port is obligated to charge market rate. Effective February 1, 2024 – should the Capitol Little League exercise that option – the lease rate would increase from the current rate to 50% of the market rate, approximately $81,000,” Warren Hendrickson, Airport Senior Manager of the Port of Olympia said later to the JOLT.
The approximate fair market value stands at around $160,000. “Should the Capitol Little League exercise that option – would be effective beginning February 1, 2025,” said Hendrickson.
The Port of Olympia published a page on its website for frequently asked questions regarding the issue. It explained that when airport properties do not have aviation-related uses, its tenant is required to pay the fair market price of the property as per Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.
The Port notified the League about the pending rental increase last year and informed them how the Port plans to phase the increases. The Port maintained the status quo for this year while it would double the rate next year, and charge at 100% fair market price by February 1, 2025.
The Port also cited its ongoing Airport Master Plan Update, which sees the airport offering regional commerce service as soon as 2035. Attaining this goal would require the Port to repurpose the ballfields, so even if the League pays market rates, it would have to find a new location eventually.
“It is important to note, therefore that – even at market rate – the Capitol Little League’s continued use of the existing parcel will be limited to the next several years; a permanent relocation will eventually become necessary,” the Port’s website stated.
The Port added that they are required to comply with FAA requirements as the federal funds they received from the FAA are subject to certain obligations. One of these 39 obligations requires the Port to “maintain and operate their facilities safely and efficiently and in accordance with specified conditions.”
The Port added that they could not simply donate the difference between the cost of the current rent and the fair market rate as it would be in violation of FAA’s requirements as well as the state’s prohibition of gifting public funds.
CORRECTION, June 21, 2023: Dates of the rate change and details of what the Port of Olympia is obligated to do and how have been edited for accuracy. We regret the error.
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johnvaneenwyk
ah, the port of olympia! if any of us haven't yet grasped how little the port cares for olympia, this should inform us. the port exists only because of massive infusions of citizen's tax dollars every year. what do they do with that? sustain their predatory habits with regard to our public needs.
Monday, June 19, 2023 Report this
JnNwmn
Why does the Port subsidize shipping logs out of the country and not help the Little League use the 24 years of improvements for children. The Port needs to do things for Thurston County. Thurston County residents are taxed to fund the Port. The Little League should stay.
Tuesday, June 20, 2023 Report this
BobJacobs
The Port of Olympia is a reverse Robinhood operation. Everyone pays the Port's property taxes, but only people of means benefit from its operating units -- big shippers, boat owners, airplane owners, and leasers of industrial-scale space.
It's always been that way. Some of us have worked for decades to change this, but with little success. I'm very pleased that more people are catching on and speaking out. Our Port District could be what it claims to be -- a real asset for everyone in the county.
The proposal to evict Little League after all the investment it has made over the years is mind-boggling.
Bob Jacobs
Tuesday, June 20, 2023 Report this
TheVirtualOne
Tell the FAA that baseballs FLY, so this IS an aviation related use! Government is here to serve the people and what is happening is tragic. Someone in our community leadership needs to step in and work with the Little League folks and resolve this.
Tuesday, June 20, 2023 Report this
Southsoundguy
Who cares what the faa says? Seriously, kids can’t have ballfields because the port has to do what the faa says? If the port said no and left the fields, they’d get plenty of support from the community.
Tuesday, June 20, 2023 Report this
JamesBishop
HI HO DOLLAR, GREEED RIDES AGAIN !!!!!!!! Give the PORT our blood thru property taxes and now they want to bleed our children. What does the Port of Olympia actually do to benefit the tax payers ?
Tuesday, June 20, 2023 Report this
JW
The corrupt money-sucking tick that is the Port needs to be pulled.
Tuesday, June 20, 2023 Report this
52237123abc
Get Jessie KIRO 7 new!!!! Get those beautiful kids there in their uniforms and we adults there to show support!
The Port blames the FAA for everything but they are making their money off of Tumwater.
Tuesday, June 20, 2023 Report this
rhenda
There is no mention on the Port excuses page of them looking for help from our U.S. Senators and Representatives. There could be an easy fix at that level. But, have they sent a delegation to talk with them? No. Because they don't care. The Port has always been about perpetuating its own exaggerated transportation mission. Thurston County doesn't need a deep water port or a regional airport which would only be used by executive jets coming to lobby the legislature. There won't be scheduled air transport out of there for 50 more years.
Tuesday, June 20, 2023 Report this
Citizen
So, a community event and a benefit to the community must pay market rates when commerical and industrial Port users are subsidized? Really, not a beneficial use for our tax dollars. What has happened to our Port Authority members. Vote them out.
Wednesday, June 21, 2023 Report this