The suggested park layout that was presented April 28
SNOHOMISH — The latest mock-up for Averill Field, at Third Street and Pine Avenue, used public input to incorporate a set of compromises for what could be built next year.
It proposes a multi-purpose stage that’s not too big and not too small. It retains a big lawn for play. It features a medium-sized, covered pavilion in the center. The sport courts would allow basketball pickup games and pickleball, the racquet game popular with adults. A majority of people were loud and clear that a walking trail looping around the park and a great playground are musts.
Park designers reviewed the preferences of more than 220 residents to get here, but they’re not done yet.
A final survey to refine the above-described park plan is taking responses at www.surveymonkey.com/R/AverillField3 through the end of the month.
A video walk-through is online at www.snohomishwa.gov/719/Averill-Field-Master-Plan on the fourth link on the right, which is titled “20210428_AverillField_ThirdMeeting_ HybridVariationWalkThrough.”
The design proposal shown at a meeting April 28 is “a conceptual plan that’s still very fluid, but the concept is buildable” as shown, design consultant Curtis LaPierre said.
The park will keep a rustic and natural appearance.
Once it’s finalized, the next immediate step is to estimate the preliminary cost and and have the park board chew it over.
The city has $700,000 earmarked for Averill Field next year from its park impact fees account; this money is collected from new residential development in town. There could be additional funding sources, said city administrator Steve Schuller said, who highlighted that the Snohomish Kiwanis are fundraising to install a teen and tween playground in town, and sees Averill Field as one potential spot.
The plan will remove today’s Tillicum Kiwanis Playground from the 1990s because the equipment is aging out of safety compliance. The new playground will be in another spot. This playground was fundraised by the community; the president of the Snohomish Kiwanis, Jeff Judy, told the park board last week that he’d like the Kiwanis remembered for their work.
The skate park is staying put, as will the Boys & Girls Club.
This left an approximately 1.2-acre parcel to redevelop which includes the former Hal Moe Memorial Pool site, which was demolished in 2018.
The multi-purpose stage in the northeast corner will face toward the park and have trees and a sound wall to direct sound away from the homes on the other side of Third Street. The cozy stage building, as proposed, would be 1,435 square feet with about 25 feet by 45 feet for the stage; it could host music, theater plays and movie screenings. The lawn has room for 400 people to lay down on blankets, LaPierre said.
The sport courts in the northwest corner would have a ball wall, a half-court basketball court and two multi-purpose pickleball courts. An 8,800-square-foot playground would have a climbing wall, and maybe an obstacle course, as well as the usual swings and slides.
The parking would be kept, and also 16 bike stalls would be added.
A low wall and an iron fence would define the park boundaries.
The pavilion would be octagonal to make it airy without requiring center posts.
Bathrooms would be placed by the skate park.
The loop trail, proposed to be 10 feet wide and about 1,000 feet long circling the park, could be made of pervious concrete to let water through, city project manager Brennan Collins said. It’s one of 100 different construction materials still being decided on, he mentioned.
The overall block is named Averill Field for Earl Averill, a hometown Major League Baseball hall of famer. Ninety years ago, the block featured the town baseball field, complete with grandstand, where Hal Moe Pool was erected in 1970, local historian Warner Blake found through
Tribune archives. A better baseball field came along until that diamond was replaced by the Snohomish Boys & Girls Club.
