New public sports fields to come to Eastside under Sims’proposal for Sixty Acres South Park

Separate proposal made to return Muller Farm property to active, organic farming

As many as 10 much-needed, public sports fields could be coming to the Redmond area in a new agreement proposed today by King County Executive Ron Sims.

Meanwhile, a separate proposal has been made to resume active farming operations on 72 acres of rich south Sammamish Valley farmland – land that has been fallow for years and was once considered for sports fields development.

Sims has proposed that King County enter in a long-term agreement with the Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association (LWYSA) that would allow the group to build and maintain new sports fields at the county’s Sixty Acres South Park in Redmond. The sports fields would be available for other organized athletic activities and drop-in use.

If the proposal is approved by the King County Council, LWYSA would sell the 72-acre Muller Farm property near Redmond to the Full Circle Farm and King County. The association purchased the farmland in the 1990s as a potential site for soccer fields.

“Sports fields remain in high demand on the Eastside, and adding as many as ten new fields that can be used year-round will certainly help to alleviate the crunch,” Sims said.

The proposed agreement, which must be approved by the King County Council, also ensures that the new multiuse athletic fields can be used by a variety of groups, including ultimate Frisbee competitors, the Boy Scouts of America, who frequently launch rockets at the site, and the Seattle Area Soaring Society, which has used the fields for launching radio-controlled sailplanes.

“King County has had a long and extensive partnership at Sixty Acres Park, where tens of thousands of youth have honed their skills in soccer and other sports over the last 25 years,” said King County Parks Director Kevin Brown. “This proposed agreement is a logical step that is consistent with the Parks Business Plan and offers real benefits for all citizens of King County.”

Under the proposed agreement, LWYSA will be solely responsible to secure and provide all of the funding needed to design and construct the athletic fields. The group will also be responsible for all maintenance and field scheduling, which will be accomplished through the creation of a scheduling Web site.

“We are very pleased with both the proposed agreement, as well as the sale of the farm,” said Curt Bateman, LWYSA Director of Operations. “Building as many as 10 new athletic fields will provide a measure of relief to the chronic shortage that we’ve been experiencing for years on the Eastside.”

Sims said the separate proposal for the soccer association to sell the Muller Farm property to Full Circle Farm and King County is consistent with King County’s Farmland Preservation Program, which was established by a vote of the people in 1979 to preserve rapidly diminishing farmland through the purchase of development rights.

“This is a terrific step toward returning fallow land back to active farming status,” he said. “The rapid growth and popularity of local farmers markets is proof that farming has a valuable place in King County’s economy.”

“We’re excited to be a part of the solution,” said Andrew Stout, who co-owns Full Circle Farm with his wife, Wendy Munroe.

“Having such high-quality agricultural land close to the marketplace is vital to our success. King County did a great job of bringing everybody to the table, and we look forward to a long and successful relationship with the Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association,” Stout said.

The first of its kind in the nation, the Farmland Preservation Program offers farmland owners the opportunity to sell their property’s developments rights with restrictive covenants that limit the property’s use and development.

In addition to preserving farmland, the program also works to keep acreage in economically viable agricultural use. King County purchased the development rights on all but seven acres of the Muller Farm in 1986 when the land was used for an operating dairy. The property has been owned by the LWYSA since the mid 1990s.

Related Information

King County Parks – Your Big Backyard

King County Farmland Preservation Program