New fields behind Urbana High School: SFCYAF led initiative which will add two new multi-purpose fields to be used beginning in 2010! Potenial for many other fields to be added to this park.

SFCYAF partnered with government and community leaders to get this park approved and started in under 3 months. SFCYAF has raised about $1,000,000 of in-kind donations (fill, grading, super silt fence, machine operators, reduced engineering costs, waived permitting fees, legal fees and banking service fees). 

September 2009 Update: 

The new fields adjacent to Urbana High School were seeded in June and the turf is looking better every day. The fields have been mowed twice since seeding. Two weeks ago, one of our supporters, Gary Hefner spent all day aerating and reseeding the entire surface of both fields. Fortunately since then we have had ideal growing conditions provided by Mother Nature. Our plan is to allow the fields to mature until fall of 2010 to insure a safe, sturdy and healthy turf for our young athletes. During this period we will continue to work diligently on fertilization, aeration and seeding as well as to meet a few environmental and stabilization requirements. With a few loads of top soil spread and seeded on the slopes and we should be in compliance.

The next hurdle for SFCYAF is to complete a site plan and get it approved in order to begin using the fields by the fall of 2010. The final payment to our engineering firm is about $2,400 and we except to be making that payment in the very near future. Once the engineers are paid in full a disc containing all of their engineering work will be given to SFCYAF as our property. We can then use the drawings to overlay the site plan requirements therefore saving us money in the process.  The site plan process is the element that requires us to illustrate the parking availability, fields access routes, what structures will be built and many other details. If anyone you know could help us in completing the site plan please have them contact us. As far as the parking requirement, we received permission through the Board of Education to allow the use of the UHS parking lot in coordination with UHS administration and their needs. The one stipulation in the agreement is we pay them a $10 per hour service for the use of the parking lot; I am in the process of appealing the requirement and will keep you posted.  In addition, the BoE recently finish the rebuild of the two UHS practice fields including irrigation systems, which is great news for our local high school and our community. The BoE also completed the JV baseball practice field that SFCYAF had started to rebuild originally with Jim McKeever and Jason Woodward (Urbana Rec. Baseball) who installed the backstop. The BoE has done a terrific job of turning this into a quality baseball diamond that includes an outfield fence. They also installed a four foot wide walking path down the third base line that will serve as access to the new multi-purpose fields, therefore helping SFCYAF in a big way. Thank you BoE! I have attached a letter from the Board of County Commissioners estimating the value of the work our TEAM has completed for our community. Thank you to everyone who has made this possible!

 

Tom Willie has graciously committed to head up this effort. For those of you who don’t know Tom, I can confidently tell you he is the appropriate person for this job. He is passionate about children and understands, as we all do, the important role youth sports has on our children’s development. Thank you, Tom for your commitment.

 

 

  

We will be reaching out to you to participate in one facet of our five fundraising areas. I personally understand the difficult economic times that persist currently in all of our lives. That is why we all need to give a “little time or money” to this cause. An investment of time is one we can all afford and one that will make a huge difference in our children’s lives. What better investment can we make than in our children, I would argue there is none more important?

 

Yesterday, I submitted four grants requesting $26,274 (this represents what we currently owe our engineer for their work on the Urbana Fields) to the Community Foundation of Frederick County. I will keep you updated on the response we receive from the Board of Trustee’s.

 

September Update After many meetings, phone conversations and emails SFCYAF received approval to develop and build two new multi-purpose athletic fields on property behind Urbana High School.  The new fields are located to the right of the high school and below the baseball diamond furthest to the right in the photo.

Construction started in July with the installation of 2000 feet of super silt fence which volunteers installed after the materials were donated by various companies and individuals. W.F. Delauter & Son is currently trucking dirt onto the property in preparing the site for final grading and seeding over the next month or so.

 

Completion of grading will be completed before the end of September.

 

What You Can Do:  SFCYAF has incurred about $28,000 in bills primarily from the engineering cost to create a Mass Grading Plan. Future costs to complete this project will include engineering for the site plan, access/parking, walking paths, turf and other ancillary development costs.

 

We project that ~$50,000 additional community funds will be needed to ensure these fields are completed on time. Several donation or pledge levels are available and can be made easily through our partner, the Community Foundation of Frederick County. Make your donation now >>