What is this project all about?

History
The earliest record of soccer fields at Battlepoint Park was in 1974, when fields #4 and #5 were listed as part of the grant of land from the Federal Government to the Bainbridge Island Park and Recreation District.  The fields are located to the north of the west entrance to Battlepoint Park.  In 1983, the BIPRD upgraded the fields to what was at that time the all-weather surface called cushion turf.  It was a combination of sand silicate and crumb rubber.  Also in 1983, the Bainbridge Island Youth Soccer Club (BIYSC) was incorporated to start a soccer league on Bainbridge Island.  All of BIYSC’s practices and games were played at Battlepoint Park’s fields #4 and #5 from 1983 until 1995 when the fields at Woodward Middle School were built.  In 1995, BIYSC had grown from 150 players to 750 players.

In 1994, with help from BIYSC and Bainbridge Island Little League, the Gazzam Lake Bond Levy was passed.  Although over 100 acres of the property was deemed for passive use, a parcel of 24 acres was zoned for active use.  The Master Plan for Gazzam Lake included two full-sized soccer fields and two modified soccer fields.  Money was included in the Bond Levy to develop the soccer and baseball fields.  The fields were never developed due to neighborhood opposition and road requirement problems.  Instead, BIYSC was asked to find another place to purchase land and build fields using only the money meant to develop the fields.  Sands field, a combination soccer and baseball field was built in 2001 with the Gazzam Lake money. 

In 1999, BIYSC participation grew to 1,064 players.  In 2000, BIYSC worked with BIPRD to renovate Battlepoint Park fields #2 and #3.  BIYSC contributed $40,000 and volunteer hours to the $160,000 project. 

In August of 2004, BIYSC convened a sub-committee of its Board to study what had become a critical need for soccer fields. After consulting with Parks staff members and exploring all the options for adding field capacity, and because building new fields was considered too costly, the committee determined that using existing lands/field installations would more effectively alleviate the shortage of fields.   The existing sand fields at Battlepoint Park, #4 and #5, are permanently either dusty or muddy, creating unpleasant and dangerous conditions for players and viewers, especially those with asthma.  The BIYSC Board determined that renovating fields #4 and #5 with an infill system like Fieldturf would add thousands of additional playing hours for field sports on Bainbridge Island.  continued...