As both a farmer and a parent of children involved in athletics, I believe I understand the argument from both sides.
Snohomish County has done a terrible job making sure that parks and ballfields were created as the population in the county greatly increased. It should not be the responsibility of baseball and soccer organizations to acquire land for fields. This should have been done by the county government as a part of the permitting process for developers wanting to build residences. By not requiring this, our government has created this problem.
If ballfields are allowed on farmland, we will be making it even less likely that farmers will survive. North Snohomish Little League paid $10,000 per acre for the farmland that they use. No farmer can afford to pay even half that amount per acre and hope to make a living from farming. Farmland must be protected in the type of usage that is allowed or it will all be priced beyond the amount that farmers can afford.
Rep. Hans Dunshee’s suggestion that land already publicly owned should be used for ballfields makes the most sense. Also, allowing the current ballfields to operate until new ones on public lands are created is necessary so the children don’t lose the opportunity to play. What we cannot do, though, is to allow these ballfields to stay permanently on farmland. To do so will only further insure the demise of farming in Snohomish County. In the future, vibrant farms will be an essential part of a strong community in the county. What better place is there to grow the food for an ever increasing population than in its own backyard?
Peter Alden
Monroe
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