Pacific's football plan gains ground in Forest Grove
Logistics over game days nearly settled; progress reported on youth sport access
Contributed by John Schrag of the Forest Grove News Times
Issue date: 3/11/10 Section: Sports
It's not a done deal yet, but Pacific University and city officials are close to signing an agreement that will allow Boxer football to return to Forest Grove.
City parks director Tom Gamble briefed city councilors on Monday on the status of the negotiations, which got a late start last year, after university trustees voted to revive the its Division III football program, which was scrapped in 1991.
The Saturday games will be played in the city's Lincoln Park, on the artificial turf field now used for lacrosse and soccer. A practice field will be developed on a parcel of undeveloped park land just north of the turf field.
Gamble's upbeat report was in stark contrast to meetings last fall, which bogged down on the issue of access for youth sports teams.
When Pacific approached the city about playing football in Lincoln Park last year, Athletic Director Ken Schumann was reluctant to guarantee youth soccer teams as much access to the existing turf field and proposed practice field as city officials wanted. Recreation teams currently use both the turf field and the practice field site. Since then, Gamble said, Pacific officials have agreed to expanded slots time on both Lincoln Park locations and offered extensive use of its Cannery Field and Tom Reynolds Field, along nearby Cedar Street, for youth teams.
Gamble said the use of Cannery Field in particular, will be a big help to the space crunch that youth teams face each fall. "It's really going to add a lot of room for our community groups," he said.
In 2006, university officials said they planned to sell the Cannery Field property to help fund the improvements made at Lincoln Park as part of its agreement with the city to use the city park for its athletics programs. With the collapse of the commercial real estate market, the prospect of an immediate sale has dimmed.
Gamble said that should Pacific sell the property, university officials have agreed to re-open the discussion about how to find space for youth sports.
City parks director Tom Gamble briefed city councilors on Monday on the status of the negotiations, which got a late start last year, after university trustees voted to revive the its Division III football program, which was scrapped in 1991.
The Saturday games will be played in the city's Lincoln Park, on the artificial turf field now used for lacrosse and soccer. A practice field will be developed on a parcel of undeveloped park land just north of the turf field.
Gamble's upbeat report was in stark contrast to meetings last fall, which bogged down on the issue of access for youth sports teams.
When Pacific approached the city about playing football in Lincoln Park last year, Athletic Director Ken Schumann was reluctant to guarantee youth soccer teams as much access to the existing turf field and proposed practice field as city officials wanted. Recreation teams currently use both the turf field and the practice field site. Since then, Gamble said, Pacific officials have agreed to expanded slots time on both Lincoln Park locations and offered extensive use of its Cannery Field and Tom Reynolds Field, along nearby Cedar Street, for youth teams.
Gamble said the use of Cannery Field in particular, will be a big help to the space crunch that youth teams face each fall. "It's really going to add a lot of room for our community groups," he said.
In 2006, university officials said they planned to sell the Cannery Field property to help fund the improvements made at Lincoln Park as part of its agreement with the city to use the city park for its athletics programs. With the collapse of the commercial real estate market, the prospect of an immediate sale has dimmed.
Gamble said that should Pacific sell the property, university officials have agreed to re-open the discussion about how to find space for youth sports.
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