Capitol Little League faces huge rent hike from its landlord, the Port of Olympia. Why?

Capitol Little League, which has operated fields on Port of Olympia property for 24 years, is down to its last strike, league officials say, because they are facing a huge rent increase and aren’t sure where they will go if they have to move.

Rent would increase nearly tenfold from $9,200 now to about $81,000 in 2024, then to twice that much in 2025.

Port officials say it’s time for the league to pay fair-market rent for the 10 acres it uses at 7700 New Market St. SW in Tumwater. League officials counter they are an all-volunteer organization that charges minimal playing fees and turns away no one for financial hardship.

“Capitol Little League has had a major impact on the positive well-being of our community,” said Russ Gies, a little league board member who addressed the port commission on Monday.

The league, which has had a lease with the port since 1999, now pays about $9,200 a year for the eight baseball fields on a 10.6-acre site, according to port information. Under fair-market terms, rent will eventually grow to about $162,000 a year in 2025, with the port willing to charge about half that amount in 2024. The current lease expires at the end of January 2024.

“We can’t pay that — it’s prohibitive,” said little league vice president Jessica Clark, who also addressed the port commission on Monday. “And we have no other viable place to go without cutting the number of players.”

The league is no small-time affair, according to Gies. During its recently completed spring season, the co-ed league fielded 75 teams with more than 1,000 players, ranging in age from 4 to 16, he said. They also have special needs teams, ranging in age from 5 to 30, some of whom are in wheelchairs.

“That’s inspiring,” he said.

Besides the minimal playing fees the league charges, its other sources of revenue are donations, team sponsorships, banner sponsorships and concession stand sales, Gies said.

In response to the concerns about Capitol Little League, the port has posted some frequently asked questions and answers about the situation on its website. The little league occupies Olympia Regional Airport property, which is subject to Federal Aviation Administration oversight, according to the port.

About the rent increase, the website reads: “This is the dollar amount that FAA requirements dictate the port receive for this leased parcel.”

Warren Hendrickson, airport senior manager for the port, also spoke to The Olympian on Monday.

He said the port has long made the league aware of its non-conforming use on the property it occupies, but acknowledged the lease was never dealt with, other than to grant short-term renewals of it.

But now, citing a 2016 effort by the FAA to make sure airports were charging fair-market rent for hangar space, the port has to make this change to the little league lease.

What’s the connection between a hangar and a ball field? There isn’t one, but Hendrickson said the 2016 FAA effort was a “pervasive policy and that anything on an airport was subject to the same process.”

Hendrickson said the league is welcome to stay if they pay fair-market rent, but there’s another potential hurdle in the future, which is addressed in the frequently asked questions.

“The ongoing Airport Master Plan Update (for Olympia Regional Airport) includes a feasibility study for potential regional commercial service, concluding that such demand is likely to materialize as soon as 2035. Meeting that demand for commercial service will require repurposing the parcel currently used by the Capitol Little League to support this new aviation activity.”

Hendrickson said he is prepared to meet with representatives of the little league, and there has been talk of having a public meeting. Loris Gies, president of the league, said she would like to see that public meeting happen before July 1.

One of the big challenges for the league, she said, would be finding a 20-acre site in central Thurston County for ball fields and parking. She said the league doesn’t want to go too far east or south because of existing little leagues in Yelm and Rochester.

The port commission no longer responds to public comment at its meetings, but Amy Evans Harding, president of the commission, shared some thoughts after Monday’s meeting.

“Operationally, the port has to ensure we are meeting the demands of the FAA and the airport,” she said. “Zooming out, youth sports and access to activities is critical for a healthy community. As a former fast pitch player, I am committed to keeping kids playing baseball.

“This may require more stakeholders at the table, but I am confident we will come together for Thurston County’s kids.”