Washington Council pitches joint meeting with school board over Colt Field renovation
Washington council is seeking a meeting with Washington School Board in response to the school directors’ recent vote to rescind an agreement with the city to renovate the Colt League baseball field at Washington Park.
Mayor JoJo Burgess and City Council recently sent a letter to the school directors asking for the meeting to clear up what city officials describe as “misinformation” about the proposed project.
“We are more than willing to present in a transparent way all that has taken place throughout the feasibility investigation on our end,” Burgess said. “If they decide to go elsewhere that is fine, but we think the school board and residents need to be fully informed of what we see as easily resolved issues.”
At its April 22 meeting, the school board voted to rescind the working agreement concerning the field renovation. The school district and city reached an informal agreement in August to join forces on a turf field to be used for baseball and softball for school district and youth teams.
Colt Field, which has been used as Washington High School’s home field in the past, is maintained by the city. The varsity baseball team occasionally holds practices there, and it’s also used by the middle school baseball team. In the 1970s, the Little Prexies shared Colt Field with Washington & Jefferson College and the former Immaculate Conception High School.
In recent years, Wash High home baseball games have been played at Wild Things Park, while the softball team plays its home games at a field in South Strabane Township.
In August, Washington school Superintendent George Lammay said the work would cost about $2 million due to the transition to a turf field and the extensive drainage work proposed. The cost of the work is to be paid through the district’s capital reserve fund. He said he recommended the board rescind the offer since the city did not formally approve the agreement.
Washington School Board will hold its next meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the high school cafeteria.
“I’ll speak with the board of education and we’ll relay what their thoughts are,” Lammay said. “If the board wants to meet with them, then that’s what we’ll do. It’s going to be their decision. I’ll act as the conduit to provide the information.”
Burgess called the board’s action “disheartening” in April and said some discrepancies were found as the city was working on the necessary property requirements for grants.
“Although this would be a nice addition to our 200-acre park, it does create some challenges, and we think an open discussion is best to be certain we all are doing what is best,” Burgess said.