A Series: Highway 60 Realignment

The old athletic field has sparked conversation among community members. Some questioned why downtown apartments were not constructed on this site, while others pointed out its history as a former dump. Before it became a dumping ground, half of the field had been submerged in the backwaters of the slough until the city filled it in many decades ago. A plan to remove the contamination will determine future steps during the construction of the Highway 60 reroute.
Development on the land required both rezoning the parcels and a thorough understanding of what was beneath the surface. A public hearing was held at the May 6, 2025 City Council meeting regarding the rezoning of the parcels. Homes in close proximity to the Athletic Field were notified of the public hearing by mail.
City Planner Kristi Trisko explained that rezoning the land to “mixed use” was the first step toward redevelopment. Mayor Durand said that housing development plans were conceptual and that rezoning was an important part of accurately depicting city land maps. She also said that issues related to flooding and protecting nearby homes would receive careful attention, and that any new development would improve the flooding situation for nearby homes.
To better understand contamination at the site, 3DG Corporation used electromagnetic scanning to survey the parcel, analyzing the soil up to seven feet deep. The scan results showed brighter colors where higher concentrations of metal were present. While the worst-case scenario would have been widespread debris throughout the area, the findings showed three zones with denser metal materials. Beyond that, metal presence was fairly minimal. The scan also identified an “L”-shaped figure, possibly made of concrete. The results suggested that a roadway could be constructed on the site without significantly disturbing any debris. The next step in the process is to conduct a site survey, which will inform the city of the necessary site cleanup efforts. Although a geo-scan in 2025 identified contaminated areas in the field, it did not offer specific remediation strategies. Once the extent of cleanup is determined, attention can turn to other key aspects of the plan, including flood mitigation and shoreline overlay requirements next to the slough.