Phase one of the Grizzly Stadium project got the proverbial green light from the Mariposa County Unified School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday night. The board voted unanimously to move forward with the project and file a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption.

Grizzly Stadium committee members Dan Tucker, Dave Gerken and Pat Wight addressed the board. Tucker explained that the committee has secured enough financial support for the project that there is no financial liability for the cash-strapped school district. He said that on June 22, the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors approved funding for phase one of the project. Tucker stressed that the entire facility is being renovated for all sports, not just football.

Gerken talked to the board about the actual construction process during phase one. “Pretty simply, we need to complete this to get the site ready for football,” he said. Mariposa County High School has already committed to playing on the field that lies between MCHS and MES in the fall.

Gerken said the team, led by Mariposa County Contractors’ Association (MCCA) members, will go to work almost immediately on creating the stadium’s entrance and landscaping. “Most important is the fencing around the facility,” he said. “We have the money to do all those things.”

The long-time Mariposa builder said it is time for a facility like this in town. “It needs to be right here,” Gerken said. “It’s going to be an exciting thing to not be at the fairgrounds. We’re looking forward to seeing the guys come down and through the gate.”

Wight addressed the concern about parking. The new facility actually has more parking than is available at the fairgrounds. She shared an aerial diagram of both facilities to help demonstrate the difference. The amount of available parking around Grizzly Stadium is 155,283 square feet, as compared to roughly 108,000 square feet at the fairgrounds.

Wight said the committee has commitments from individuals and businesses to see the project through to fruition. “Community support is phenomenal for this project,” she said. She said the stadium, which will be a venue for football, baseball, softball and soccer, will not only enhance the school.

“It will benefit the whole community,” Wight said, noting the potential increase in visitation. “This will bring them right into the heart of town.”

The board apparently agreed and moved forward on the project without hesitation. It also approved the CEQA exemption, which takes 35 days to complete.

MCUSD Superintendent Aaron Rosander called the committee’s work and community support “impressive” and “exciting.”