Renovation of South Whidbey Parks Playfields and Details of Facility Improvement Project
Heather Kline

Just northwest of Seattle nestled in the Puget Sound is an island named Whidbey. It is most famous for its beautiful views, farmer's markets, and breathtaking state parks. The residents of the south end of Whidbey Island know about some of its other attractions, mainly the many parks and trail systems throughout the area. Open space has always been a priority on South Whidbey, with one of its prize possessions being the South Whidbey Community Park, managed by Tom Fallon, a native of the island.

Formed in 1983 with a generous donation from Bud and Margaret Waterman, the original 40 acres consisted of three baseball fields and one soccer field. In spring 2000, the parks district purchased another 40 acres and incorporated this land into a trail system for use by people, dogs, and horses. A bond also passed in 2000 to purchase the remaining acreage for the Sports Complex, bringing the total to 117 acres. The bond included funds for the installation of foursoccer fields, a fourth baseball field, and a skate park.

Tom Fallon has been with the South Whidbey Parks Department for eleven years. Prior to that, he worked for the Oak Harbor Parks Department for four years. While working in Oak Harbor, Tom attended Edmonds Community College and graduated in 1995 with a Horticulture Degree and Turf Management Certificate. His experience, education, and hard work have turned the South Whidbey Community Park into one of the best kept secrets, and most loved areas for the south end residents.

The Sports Complex was built by a construction company specializing in parking lots, roads, and paving. Earthmovers made quick work of the operation and within a few months, the fields were ready for play. The original drainage system for the fields was a meager .092 slope going to five catch basins. With that small of a slope, the fields were more like a parking lot than a true playing field. When Tom first evaluated the site, and his budget, he decided that the least he could do was begin an aggressive topdressing program, proper fertilization program, aerate and overseed to establish a thick uniform stand of turfgrass. This was definitely a step in the right direction; however, with soccer being the sport of choice on South Whidbey, even all this attention did not keep the fields up to players' standards. The only break in the season for Tom to perform maintenance was from mid-January to the end of February. This is not exactly the best time in the Pacific Northwest to be trying to manage any turf area. The fields did not drain and with constant play the fields were unable to hold up through the season, developing into sparse muddy parcels by years end.

In 2006 Tom had enough money in his budget to hire Jeff Horan of Greenshield Systems to install drainage to one soccer field. The difference was immediate, and in 2008, a 1.6 million dollar bond was passed which included enough funds to install drainage to the remaining five soccer fields and two back to back outfields servicing four baseball fields. In addition, new paving, replacement of castle park playground, two new picnic shelters and playground at the Sports Complex, and an extension of the skate park to double its' size were completed.

Jeff Horan and Tom worked together during the entire installation process. Communication was key to getting the job done on time and within budget. Greenshield Systems installed drainlines at ten foot increments for a total of 340,000 square feet of pipe for the soccer fields, and another 35,000 square feet for the two baseball fields. At Tom's insistence, one soccer field had an area that required the drainlines to be placed at eight foot increments. Jeff restructured the field to include this, and the results made the extra work worthwhile.

With a drainage installation of this size there is considerable waste produced that must be dealt with. Tom was fortunate enough to have a low area next to the Sports Complex that could accommodate the extra material from cutting in the drain-lines. He was able to improve the slope around the Sports Complex and he utilizes another filled area to store the soccer goals when the fields are not in use.

Tom bases his fertilizer program on a soil test performed every year. He tailors his fertilizer choices depending on the results of this test. In a typical year, the fields receive five to six pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet. Tom tries to spoon-feed his fields with smaller monthly applications, rather than a few heavier applications. This, he says, helps the turf combat the wear and tear of play with a higher success rate.

South Whidbey Parks Department does have a pesticide budget, but Tom finds that there is little use for them. He uses Roundup around the fence lines when needed, and applies a weed-n-feed every few years if the number of weeds present warrants an application. He has not applied anything for many years, as the health and thickness of his turf allows the grass to outcompete the weeds. Tom believes strongly in IPM, and has worked hard to keep the park system in great shape, while at the same time always being aware how the activities of the park affect the environment. He is cautious as to any activity he employs, as he not only has the environment to consider, but the users of the park system also.

Whidbey Island is host to many good well systems, including the one for the park system. As the water is potable, Tom has it tested monthly to ensure that it is safe for consumption. A benefit of the increased drainage is that water and fertility requirements are more efficiently used. The complex no longer has the number of areas that require special treatment so the fields can be treated more uniformly as one unit. This results in not only a better stand of turf, but also one that can overpower the competition from weeds, remains thick so players don't get injured on bare areas, has less waste and runoff, lower maintenance costs, and saved labor.

The relentless dedication from people like Tom and his staff, coupled with the enthusiastic support from the community, continue to make South Whidbey Community Park one of Whidbey Island's most treasured places to visit.