Retired Adm. Lyle Bull, of Oak Harbor, brought a new idea to the Oak Harbor School District stadium planning meeting Monday night.

Flanked by a cadre of supporters, Bull said the Noon Rotary of Oak Harbor would like to begin raising money to fund a new athletic complex at the high school.

“The Rotary is unanimous in wanting to do something for Oak Harbor,” he told the school board.

He felt the “piecemeal” approach of fixing Memorial Field now, then building a facility at the high school later was “second class,” and wouldn’t look good on the upcoming Base Realignment and Closure criteria, which takes community assets into account in deciding whether or not a base should be closed.

Bull said the Rotary had already started a sports complex “kitty,” and only needed to know how much the school board wanted them to raise.

That was not a question the board was prepared to hear, nor answer. They have not yet decided on a plan to replace the bleachers at Memorial Field which were torn down in November, and financing any future facility has been a major stumbling block. Voters have consistently rejected district bond efforts, including two last year which called for a new athletic facility as part of the total high school remodel.

At that time the cost of the facility was estimated at $6.7 million, with $3.2 million of that being part of the school remodel and new construction. A stand-alone sports complex was estimated at $3.5 million.

Community members who attended a series of stadium planning meetings in October favored a new stadium at the high school, with a price tag ranging from $4.1 million to $5.87 million.

With the Rotary offer on the table, board member Kathy Jones expressed frustration that the cost estimate kept fluctuating so widely.

Rick Schulte, schools superintendent, said that without specifications for the project, the estimates were only a range. He said they could design a facility to a dollar amount, rather than designing first and estimating later.

He suggested that if the board wanted to bypass doing any improvements at Memorial Field, and go right to the high school site, they needed to think about hiring a consultant. He estimated that would run 10 percent of the total cost.

Board member Kathy Chalfant suggested the Rotary raise $2 million toward a $6 million project, with the rest coming in the form of a bond.

“If the community could come up with $2 million, it would be a very strong statement,” she said.

Board member Dave McCool felt that might be a more palatable offer for voters.

“If we ask the community for less in a bond, it’s more likely to pass,” he said.

Board president Vicki Harring said she had been excited all day after Bull called her with the proposal.

“We would take anything you can donate,” she said.

Noon Rotary president Bill Hawkins said Bull came to him with the idea after they met with a Rotary club from Canada which has supported a similar project.

Hawkins polled the members, and the idea met with enthusiasm.

“With a project that large, people can think you’re crazy,” he said. “Maybe we’re crazy, but I think we can pull it off.”

The Noon Rotary has a history of community projects in Oak Harbor. They provided the funding for the lagoon at City Beach, and were instrumental in building John Vanderzicht pool, which is named after a former Rotary president. They are currently building a park in the wooded area next to the Greater Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce on Highway 20.

“The idea is to give the school board support and see if we can make this happen.”

McCool pointed out that he knew there were other community groups who have expressed an interest in fundraising as well.

Hawkins said the Rotary would welcome a broad-based support effort.

Bull said he was been trying to get a covered sports facility in Oak Harbor since he arrived here in 1961. After several fund raising efforts sputtered and died, and his sports-playing children graduated, Bull put aside the campaign. Now, he’s back.

“I want to see some emotion,” he said. “We’ve got to get people emotional about this.”

The Rotary group will meet Thursday to establish their “plan of attack,” he said.

You can reach News-Times reporter Marcie Miller at mmiller@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611