Officials consider ball park plan

Tucumcari school board members during a special work session last week seemed to come to a consensus to renovate four existing ballparks instead of three as part of a voter-approved $3 million ballpark renovation plan.

Board members and Tucumcari City Manager Mark Martinez during a regular board meeting the previous week requested the Oct. 26 work session with schools superintendent Aaron McKinney at the baseball and softball complex on the city's west side. They had expressed concerns from constituents about public access to the diamonds and rising costs of the project.

The original plan proposed rebuilding or renovating three ball diamonds, with a large parking lot in one area. Voters approved a $3 million bond issue for the project in February 2020.

Projected costs ballooned to well over $4 million earlier this year, but McKinney previously expressed optimism those costs could be reduced by revising the plan and having school employees do some of the work, including demolition and sod replacement.

The project has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and longer-than-expected survey of the land, which encompasses city and county land that would be deeded to the school district if certain conditions are met.

In addition to McKinney, Martinez, unit office staff and board members attending the work session outside of one of the dugouts, Tucumcari High School softball coach CJ Oglesby, Greer Stafford Architecture President Steven Alano and two maintenance workers listened to the discussions.

McKinney explained a little-used ballfield in the northwest part of the complex would be transformed into a new softball field for the high school. Home plate would be moved to the southwest part of the field so batters wouldn't have to squint into the setting sun. The dugouts also would be rebuilt, with new lighting.

The current baseball field would be renovated at its current location, including new lights, new dugouts, a new press box, new bleachers and a new chain-link backstop. A concession stand in the middle of the complex would be constructed, along with a changing room for teams. Portable pitching mounds would be used for whatever field that needs them.

McKinney said renovations to the main baseball field might occur last so the Rattlers can play a full season there next spring.

The revised plan jettisons the parking lot, as plenty of parking exists at the nearby Tucumcari Convention Center.

Board member Jerry Lopez said he's cognizant of the "promise" of the bond issue making the baseball and softball fields better but having to "scale it back down" because of rising costs.

"We have to figure out how to make ends meet with $3 million," he said.

McKinney said he was expecting a new baseball and softball field for the high school teams, but within the $3 million budget.

The southernmost fields in the complex, which are the Little League and high school softball fields, would be renovated and used for youth and adult leagues or during high-school tournaments.

McKinney said he thought school employees could install new sod on the fields within a few weeks after they started, saving the district at least $100,000. He estimated another $250,000 could be saved if the district also did its own demolition.

Alano said he could have a revised plan for the ballparks by the board's next regular meeting in November.

Board member Heather Gonzales stressed the importance of public use of the fields for adult softball and especially Little League programs.

"If we don't cater to the youth, it's vacant in five years," she said.

McKinney said after the work session he was optimistic Tucumcari's baseball and softball teams would be able to play full seasons on their fields next spring as work continues on other areas of the complex. But he acknowledged that wasn't guaranteed because general construction contractors are busy with other projects around the state, plus global supply-line problems.