Cathcart site a simple solution

I recently read your article regarding the vast amount of level, unused land in the Cathcart landfill area (“Surplus sales no budget fix,” July 19). It is my understanding that the new Snohomish High School will be built there. In addition, the Willis Tucker Community Park is there.

As we all know, the south Snohomish school district is growing at a very rapid rate and is having difficulty keeping up with this growth. As was stated in a recent article, the sale of this land will not help the Snohomish County budget shortfalls. Land will only get more costly and less easy to find in the future. Because of the development of this area, there is a much higher demand for recreational fields for our children to play league sports on. Because of the lack of land, the North and South Snohomish County Little Leagues built ballfields illegally because the county told them it was OK to do so. As we are aware, these have been “red-tagged” and on May 31, 2005 the fields will be shut down and the children will have nowhere to play.

Why doesn’t the county build a ballfield complex on this Cathcart landfill site, move the Little League players there and save the rest for more ballfields and park land or other uses as we need them in the future? Seems like a pretty simple solution to the problem our community is facing with lack of recreational land without having to build illegal ballfields in agricultural designated land.

Janine Ruland

Snohomish