SEQUIM — The Albert Haller Foundation has approved a $140,294 grant for an expanded parking lot and driveway access through the Water Reuse Site, north of Carrie Blake Park, to improve safety conditions and access to the Albert Haller Playfields in Sequim.
“The Albert Haller Foundation is very excited with their partnership between the city of Sequim and Sequim Family Advocates to expand the parking and vehicle access to the Albert Haller Playfields and the James Center for the Performing Arts,” said Dave Blake, a member of the Haller Foundation board.
“This type of cooperation between private and public organizations is something that Albert Haller would have been very proud of,” Blake added.
The project, which is included in the city’s newly adopted Carrie Blake Park Master Plan, will add 55 new parking spots and create one-way vehicle access from Blake Avenue to Rhodefer Road through the park.
Construction of the project is expected to begin June 1 and to be completed by July 31 in time for the Dungeness Cup Youth Soccer Tournament in August.
Grant funds will be combined with $140,000 from the city’s park fund, $30,000 in-kind city services in engineering and project management, $20,000 from the Sequim Family Advocates, $10,000 from Sequim Junior Soccer, $2,000 from Storm King Soccer Club, and $2,000 from Sequim FC Adult League to fully fund the project.
The existing parking lot, which was built by Sequim Family Advocates as a part of Phase 1 of the playfields, “is unable to accommodate the high volume of the playfield users during routine use, let alone tournaments or events,” said Joe Irvin, assistant to the city manager/parks manager.
When the lot is full, vehicles are parked on grass near the playfields and along the shoulders of Rhodefer Road, “which is not safe,” Irvin said.
“This grant allows the city to move forward with much-needed improvements to one of the most-used features in our city parks,” he added.
Sequim has been working with the Sequim Family Advocates to find a workable solution to parking problems around the playfields for more than a year.
“Sequim Family Advocates is delighted to be partnering with the city of Sequim, the Haller Foundation, Sequim Junior Soccer, Storm King Soccer Club, and Sequim FC to make these urgently needed safety and parking improvements,” said the organization’s president, Dave Shreffler.
“These improvements will benefit the whole community, and the project is a testament to partnerships and perseverance.”
