By Teresa Herriman, The Courier-Herald

Representative from the Sumner School District approached the Bonney Lake City Council recently to request a zoning and boundary change. That change would allow the district to build a playfield on the lot it owns just east of Bonney Lake Elementary School at 18715 80th Street East.

The playfield could be used for soccer, football and field events. "There is not an abundance of parks and recreation fields in Bonney Lake," William Noland, Sumner School District deputy superintendent, said. "Whenever we improve our facility, it makes a nice community place for youth."

Noland said the additional space is needed in order to adequately provide for the school children's physical education and sports activities. The facility would serve a dual purpose as a playground for the school and a park for the neighborhood, he said.

The play area would be 45 yards by 90 yards, or almost the size of a football field, and front 82nd Street East. The portion of the land not be used for the field would be cleaned up, said Noland. Currently, the property is an undeveloped wooded area that sometimes gets used for illegal activity, such as underage drinking and drug use. The district plans to thin the forested area and make it more park-like for better visibility and improved safety.

The school district plans to sell a three-acre parcel of the 13-acre forest, with the proceeds going toward development of the field. Noland is not sure how much money the sale will bring, as the land has not yet been appraised. "The school board needs to declare (the land) surplus first," he said. If additional funds are needed, the district will supply them from the capital funding budget.

The City Council will consider the amendment change in a workshop before bringing it for a vote. If approved, the school district will begin the process of surplussing the property. Depending on final approval, Noland is cautiously optimistic that construction could start as early as this summer. "But I would say, hopefully, we will have a project underway in a couple of years."

Not everyone is enthusiastic about the idea. At an earlier public hearing of the planning commission, several neighbors expressed concerns. They objected to cutting down the trees, which, they say, offer privacy and serve as a nature area for residents who enjoy walking in the woods.

"We want to be good neighbors and at the same time it is our mission to have proper facilities for our children," Noland said. "We need more space at this school and we do think the field is in the best interest of our school district patrons and Bonney Lake citizens."

Teresa Herriman can be reached at therriman@courierherald.com