Here is a list of frequently asked questions about Big LeagueDreams' proposed sports complex that will be voted on Sept. 18:
-- What is sports complex being proposed by the city of Yakimaand Big League Dreams USA of Mira Loma, Calif.?
On city property around Kiwanis Park in southeast Yakima, BigLeague Dreams has proposed operating a sports park that will includefive lighted ballfields, of which three would be scaled-downreplicas of historic major league ballparks. The complex would alsocontain a multisport pavilion, batting cages, a restaurant, parkingfor up to 350 vehicles and a playground and picnic area.
-- Why was a company from California picked and not someonelocally?
Starting in 1991, local service clubs and sports enthusiastsbegan studying a number of proposals before selecting Big LeagueDreams of Mira Loma, Calif. One of the main selling points was thecompany's scaled-down replicas of major league ballparks includingBoston's Fenway Park and Chicago's Wrigley Field. Big League Dreamsalso already has successful complexes operating in Cathedral City,Calif. (opened in January 1998) and Riverside County, Calif. (openedin April 2000). A third facility in Chino Hills, Calif., is underconstruction.
-- We have heard the project will cost from $9 million to $12million. What will the actual cost be?
According to a city staff report, the estimated cost to build thesports complex is $11.9 million. The city has $2.7 million incurrently available resources - $1 million from the sale of LarsonPark to Yakima Valley Community College, another $1.1 million worthof property purchased by three local service clubs that was thentransferred over to the city, an additional $100,000 in donations,and $500,000 through grants. That leaves a balance of $8.7 million.
Added to this is the $10 million necessary for debt service andinterest payments during the lifetime of the 25-year bond.
-- Will the complex, with its sports pavilion, be used year-round, or will it be closed in the winter months?
Big League Dreams plans to run the facility 261 days a year. Themultipurpose pavilion is a semi-enclosed facility that is notheated, insulated or air conditioned. It is designed to accommodatebasketball, inline hockey, indoor volleyball, indoor soccer, andcorporate and community meetings.
City officials say if bids for construction come in lower thananticipated, amenities such as heating could be added to thepavilion.
-- Instead of the city leasing out the sports complex, whydoesn't a private owner build and run the park without seekingpublic funding?
According to a city staff report, the cost of building a sportscomplex would force the private operator to charge much higher fees,making the facility unaffordable for many prospective users. Apublic/private ownership, as proposed in the sports complex forYakima, would keep fees to a minimum.
-- How many years will it take to pay for the sports complex, andis there any guarantee that the utility tax will end when the bondsare paid off?
The city predicts that, under current rates, it will take 25years to pay off $8.7 million in general obligation bonds. Thesebonds are approved by voters. The government's promise to repay theprincipal and pay the interest is constitutionally guaranteed on thestrength of its power to tax. When the payments are met, the bondsare eliminated.
-- How much is the utility tax and how much will it cost familiesand businesses in Yakima?
If approved by voters, the utility rate on private utilities -natural gas, electric, and wired and wireless telephone services -would increase by 1 percent, from 6 to 7 percent. The city estimatedthe increase for the average household is $1.80 per month orapproximately $22 per year. Businesses or high-volume users wouldpay a maximum increase of $40 per month per account or $480 annuallyfor each utility.
-- How much have the local service clubs - Rotary, Kiwanis andLions - donated to the proposed sports complex?
The service clubs have contributed $1.6 million. That money hasbeen used to purchase property south of Kiwanis Park. Ownership ofthose lots, in turn, has been transferred over to the city ofYakima.
The service clubs have also paid Big League Dreams a fee of$150,000 to secure exclusive rights to the complex so the companywould not be able to negotiate with other cities in the region.
-- What will it cost for softball teams to use the fields forleague play and for tournaments?
Although no fees have been set for the sports complex in Yakima,officials with Big League Dreams say fees will be comparable tothose charged at their complex in Cathedral City, Calif.
For league play, Big League Dreams would charge $300 per team and$20 per player (with teams consisting of 12 players). Those chargescover a 10-game season. That's $54 per game.
The current rate through the Yakima parks department averages outto around $840 per team (there is no per player fee). These chargescover a 22-game season. That's $38 per game.
For tournaments, Big League Dreams charges $175 per team whilethe city of Yakima now assesses $190 for tournaments. In Pasco, teamtournament fees are $250.
-- Will alcohol be sold at the restaurant? If so, will there beany restrictions?
Yes, alcohol will be served. The lease with Big League Dreamsdoes not forbid alcohol sales while youth games are being played.
-- What kinds of teams will be able to use the baseball fields?
Big League Dreams states its sports complex will be home to youthbaseball, slowpitch softball, girls fastpitch, tournaments softballteams, indoor soccer, volleyball, basketball and inline hockeyteams.
-- Who will pay to clean up any graffiti or other vandalism atthe sports complex?
Maintenance of the sports complex will be the responsibility ofBig League Dreams. The company states it will staff the park fulltime. With one controlled access gate, company officials say thefacility will be 'safe and secure.'
-- How many softball teams could play in the sports complexduring the year?
There are more than 200 youth and adult softball teams nowplaying in the Yakima area, according to a city staff report. Withfive lighted fields, Big League Dreams can accommodate five leaguegames per night per field, or 50 teams per night and a total of 250teams per week (Monday through Friday). Currently, the city softballleague can host 24 teams per night at its four lighted and fourunlighted fields.
-- Is a simple majority or a super-majority of 60 percent of'yes' votes required for the utility tax measure to pass in theSept. 18 primary?
A simple majority is needed for passage. And unlike a schoollevy, there is no minimum number of votes required to validate themeasure.
-- What happens if Big League Dreams decides to pull the plug andback out of the complex in a couple of years?
Under the recently signed lease agreement, Big League Dreamswould be required to reimburse the city a licensing fee of $300,000if it pulls out of the complex within three years after the city haspaid the fee. The property would still be owned by the city, whichcould then either operate the complex with city staff or seekanother company to run the operations.
The city could also choose to lease the restaurant andconcessions to a private business as it has done with the restaurantspace at the Yakima Air Terminal.
-- Who pays admission and how much will it be?
Beginning at 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends, BigLeague Dreams will charge an admission of $1.50 for adults and $1for children who are playing a game. All other children under 13 arefree. Every person who pays an admission fee also receives a tokenworth $1 off any item at the concession areas.
-- Will parking always be free?
The sports complex will provide parking for up to 350 vehicles.Though the lease does not forbid Big League Dreams from charging afee, the company has stated it will not charge for parking.
-- Will families be able to bring food and drinks into thecomplex or will they be required to buy food and refreshments fromBig League Dreams?
A restaurant and sports bar will be part of the sports complexand will open up to the three ballfields that will be replicas ofmajor league ballparks. Concession stands also will be available. Afamily picnic area with tables and benches will be available outsideof the facility, but those entering the stadium will not be allowedto bring in food or refreshments.
-- Big League Dreams says it will make, by the fourth year, morethan $3 million and will pay the city 10 percent of that, or$300,000, to help pay off the bonds. What if the complex doesn'tgenerate that high of revenue? Will the city have to make up thedifference?
With gross revenues rising from $1.4 million in the first year to$3.1 million in the fourth, Big League Dreams has agreed to pay thecity of Yakima 10 percent of its gross income starting with thefourth year of operation. That amounts to $310,000. The city's parksand recreation department will receive a portion of this futurerevenue for maintenance costs and programs.
In the event Big League Dreams does not generate the anticipatedgross income, the city's percentage would still be 10 percent, butthe overall dollar amount returning to the city would be less.
-- What limits will be placed by Big League Dreams on softballgames? Are they different than those now being imposed in the Yakimaparks department?
Adult league softball games at the proposed sports complex willbe limited to one hour in length. This is comparable to the limitsnow imposed in the city parks program. League play in the city parksrequires doubleheaders, with no limit on the first game but anoverall time limit for both games. Total playing time is roughly twohours and 10 minutes.
Also, softball games for Big League Dreams will require that allbatters start their at-bat with one ball and one strike. That is thesame rule now being used for city softball leagues.
-- Have there been any studies of traffic congestion at the siteof the sports complex?
The proposed sports complex must receive an environmental reviewunder the state Environmental Policy Act. That would include a studyof traffic impacts.
-- How many jobs will be created at the sports complex?
Big League Dreams expects to hire 15 full-time and 70 part-timeworkers.
-- How did other cities pay for the 'Field of Dreams' complexes?Did any of these cities take a tax vote?
No other city has gone to the voters for an increase in taxes. Infact, officials with Big League Dreams say the vote in Yakima willbe the one and only time a tax issue will be sought at the ballotbox. In Cathedral City, Calif., the city used a nearly $5 millionbond measure to help pay for the facility. No direct tax dollarswere involved.
-- What happens to the Kiwanis Park property if this taxingmeasure doesn't pass?
The city of Yakima will still control ownership of the property,including the land purchased by the three service clubs. Anyadditional construction of ballfields would depend on outlays fromthe current budget of the parks and recreation department and anygrants the city might secure. City officials say it would still take$4.6 million just to build a conventional sports complex.
-- What are the differences between the family sports complex andthe proposed Central Washington complex recently proposed in UnionGap?
In July, a group of local businessmen announced plans to developa 220-acre Union Gap hayfield into a complex to include a sprawlingarray of soccer, softball and baseball fields, an indoor field andice hockey rink, volleyball and basketball facilities. The privatelyfunded venture, called Central Washington Sports Center, could costanywhere from $25 million to $50 million. Supporters of the sportscenter say the Yakima Valley could support both their facility andthe Big League Dreams complex.
However, the sports center in Union Gap is likely years away fromreality. Investors still must be found and permits secured.
-- Why did the city settle on a utility tax instead of some otherkind of tax like a hotel/motel tax?
According to a city staff report, Yakima has the debt capacity tolegally issue bonds. But it has no existing revenue source to payoff the bonds.
City staff recommended the utility tax because it would be astable and reliable revenue source, would need a simple majority forpassage and the procedures to tax private utilities are already inplace.
The city had looked at a voter-approved telephone tax increase, avoter-approved property tax increase, a new business and occupationtax and an increase in the tax on city refuse, water and sewerutilities. However, these options were not considered since theburden of these taxes would fall unevenly on residents.
A sales tax increase was ruled out because it wouldn't raiseenough.
And a boost in the hotel/motel tax likewise was not consideredbecause it's already at the maximum level allowed and would requireaction by the Legislature to increase it.
-- Why should taxes be used to build a privately run restaurant?
Big League Dreams and city officials say revenue from therestaurant accounts for more than 50 percent of the total revenuefor the sports complex. It helps to keep down admission costs andtournament fees for teams.
