Fairgrounds sinkhole puts plans on hold

Not only has the large sinkhole at the Fairgrounds ball field left county project staff puzzled, but it also has caused a couple of future plans to be put on hold.

The county had plans for a dedication ceremony of the Fairgrounds and Events Center next weekend, June 4 and 5, but that has been delayed indefinitely until officials can figure out what caused the 20-foot by 20-foot hole. Repair work on the hole has continued since it was first appeared on May 6.

“(The dedication ceremony) hasn’t been rescheduled,” said Karen Ross, project manager for Kitsap County Department of Facilities, Parks and Recreation.

Organizers had planned for a full weekend of activities including sports events.

Also on hold is paving the Gordon Field parking lot. The proposed drainage system for the parking lot is the same as where the sinkhole has occurred, according to Ross. Officials want to find out what the exact cause of the sinkhole is before they go ahead with the paving project.

“We’ll try to have the (parking lot) open before the Fair, with or without Rainstore (the proposed drainage system),” Ross said.

She adds that they are getting closer to finding out the what exactly caused the sinkhole.

“We sent materials out for testing which takes about three weeks to get back,” she said. “We think it could be a combination of things.”

The testing will confirm the strength of the plastic units in the Rainstore, Ross said.

According to a county news release, the damaged area is not in the play field itself and does not hamper play, but until the exact cause is determined, officials have suspended use of the two fields nearest the damage (fields three and four), as a precaution. The other two fields remain open.

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