After IVGID acquired the beaches and the public became aware of the District’s new public recreation powers, as we have elsewhere stated, there was an organic push to use that power to construct parks and athletic fields¹. This “push” was fueled by the fact that Washoe County was conducting a county-wide public recreation study at intended to identify possible venues for development. In December of 1971 this “push” resulted in the creation of a local ad hoc Recreation Committee² consisting of thirty (30) concerned Incline Village citizens³. The Committee’s goal was to identify approximately fifty (50) acres in the growing community of Incline Village for possible park acquisition and development. And over the months which followed, the Committee made regular reports on its progress and recommendations to the IVGID Board.

At the top of everyone’s list for acquisition was an approximate 5.2 acre plot of land known as Preston Field⁴ (aka the “Field of Dreams“) at the corner of Tahoe Blvd. (Highway 28) near the roundabout onto Mt. Rose Highway (Highway 431). Although Preston Field was owned by Boise Cascade Home & Land Corporation⁵ (“Boise Cascade”) but for the beaches, for many years it was used by the community as a bare bones Little League baseball field. Over the next several years it seems as if IVGID staff entered into a series of yearly agreements with Incline Village, Inc.⁶ for the former’s use of Preston Field each upcoming summer season. And apparently the costs associated with that use were covered by annual $3,000 contributions from Washoe County.

Then in early 1975, the District undertook earnest pro-active efforts to purchase Preston Field outright⁷. And on September 18, 1975 an agreement was reached⁸. Although no purchase price, terms nor source of funds for the purchase were announced⁹, there are suggestions in the minutes of the Board’s October 9, 1975, October 30, 1975 and December 11, 1975 meetings that the purchase price was $56,500⁹; and, the source of funds would be the proceeds of Washoe County District 9 construction taxes¹⁰. Regardless, this purchase marked the District’s official foray into the public recreation business¹¹. And in the months which followed, IVGID caused construction of the field improvements we see today¹². Those repairs and upgrades were funded by the District’s Recreation Facility Fee (“RFF”).

And now you know!

1. Recall that when the IVGID Board (“the Board”) sought public recreation powers from the Washoe County Board of Commissioners (“the County Board”), its Board representative, Harold Tiller, expressly represented that if granted, this new basic power would not be exercised to acquire nor operate any of the many contemplated recreational facilities except pubic parks [see pages 159-160 of the packet of materials prepared by staff in anticipation of the Board’s May 27, 2020 meeting (“the 5/27/2020 Board packet“)]. So acquisition of public parks was in line with what had been represented.
2. At the Board’s April 26, 1973 meeting the Committee was formally recognized (see Resolution No. 1135) as a Board created Recreation Advisory Committee (see the minutes of the Board’s March 8, 1973 meeting).
3. See the minutes of the Board’s November 30, 1972 meeting.
4. Named after local resident Bruce Preston who along with fellow resident Ron Cromwell were original volunteers in construction of the field.
5. Crystal Bay Development Co. (“CBDC”) sold all of its remaining Incline Village properties to Boise Cascade on June 4, 1967 (IVGID wasn’t notified of the sale until May 13, 1968).
6. Boise Cascade’s Incline Village real estate development arm.
7. See the minutes of the Board’s May 8, 1975 meeting.
8. See the minutes of the Board’s September 11, 1975 meeting.
9. These minutes recite that although $256,500 in District 9 construction tax monies was requested, only $200,000 thereof was requested for a “lighted…multipurpose sodded field (with fencing,)…access and parking” improvements.
10. This is a tax on all Incline Village real estate development. It is earmarked for park acquisition and improvement.
11. Recall that access to the beaches was private.
12. Notwithstanding, massive repairs and upgrades were constructed in 2012 (go to https://www.bjginc.com/What-We-Do/IVGID-Preston-Field/body_ivgid-preston-field.html).