King County agreed to allow Redmond North Little League (RNLL) to construct, operate, maintain and use an indoor batting cage facility at Redmond Ridge Park.
The agreement among King County’s department of natural resources and parks, parks and recreation division and RNLL is a five-year use agreement. The indoor batting cage facility will be a continuation of RNLL and the park’s mutual agreement for the site. RNLL and the parks and recreation division entered into a 10-year use agreement to construct new synthetic sports fields at Redmond Ridge Park in 2013. The new fields were completed in spring 2014.
RNLL is a nonprofit, community-based and open-membership club that provides youth baseball programs for children between 5 and 13 years of age. The organization currently serves 450 children at Redmond Ridge Park.
According to the agreement, King County determined that indoor batting cages located at Redmond Ridge Park “has a significant and unique regional and/or rural public recreation value.” The agreement also states that allowing RNLL to design, construct and operate will provide a significant recreational amenity.
The facility will primarily serve RNLL during the baseball season (typically January 1 to July 31) and will be available to other users throughout the year. For all other seasons, the cages will be retractable, which will allow for indoor turfed training area that can be scheduled for youth soccer and youth football.
The agreement states that RNLL will build the indoor batting cages — three lanes inside an enclosed building. RNLL will receive a CPG capital improvement grant in the amount of $270,000. The current estimated cost for the construction of the facility is $560,000. RNLL will raise all additional cash, in-kind services and other resources required to complete the construction of the facility, according to the agreement. RNLL is required to submit plan sets for review by the parks and recreation division at 30, 60, and 90 percent of completion.
The agreement will go into effect upon signature by both parties. That date is yet to be determined.
