Organizers of a proposal to build a public fieldhouse in northern Valley County will host two open houses on the project this week.
The first open house will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday night at the McCall Public Library. Another open house will be held on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Roseberry Coffee in Donnelly.
Current plans call for multiple sports fields surrounded by a walking track, with the ability for future expansions to add pickleball courts, a swimming pool, an indoor gym, and other amenities. It is currently unknown how much it would cost to build the fieldhouse.
Funding for the facility would be raised through private donations and the creation of an auditorium district that could tax up to 5% on stays in short-term rentals and motels. The district, known as the Mountain Community Center District, could earn up to $1.5 million per year, according to estimates.
Petition in progress
The proposal was developed by a group of citizens who are currently collecting signatures for a petition to create the district. The petition must secure signatures from at least 10% of the 6,183 registered voters within the district, which roughly mirrors the McCall-Donnelly School District.
So far, the group has collected about 321 verified signatures, or more than half of the 618 needed, said Johanna Defoort, a member of the citizen group who is also Valley County treasurer.
Defoort estimates that the group has also collected about 100 more signatures that still need to be verified.
“That number is growing daily at this point, which is very exciting,” she said.
With a successful petition, the proposal would advance for a hearing before a district court judge and, if approved, to a vote by property owners within the proposed district.
A simple majority of 50% plus one vote would be required for the district to be created. The group hopes to seek voter approval next November, Defoort said.
The district would not overlap with the Southern Valley County Recreation District, which funds the Cascade Aquatic & Recreation Center.
Fieldhouse location undecided, but options available
The site where the Mountain Community Center would be built is still to be determined. One site under consideration is an 80-acre parcel along Lake Fork Road that is owned by the county.
Defoort also said Brundage Mountain Resort has offered to donate land near the Activity Barn on Moonridge Drive for the fieldhouse, which a Brundage spokesperson confirmed.
Another site near McCall is also under consideration, though Defoort declined to provide further details.
Other members of the citizen group are McCall residents Blake Lingle, Lisa Beck, Megan Lawler, and Katy Nachman.
