The unstable soil has also created additional work on the field. Photo by Seti Long

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Unstable soil beneath Gridley’s sports complex is driving the need for expanded foundation work and adding new costs to a project already stretched beyond its grant funding.

The newest increase is a $363,000 addition to the project’s bill for deeper light‑pole foundations after contractors found the ground too weak to support the poles at the planned depth. The revised design calls for seven reinforced concrete cylinders, each 42 inches wide and drilled 30 to 35 feet into the ground to reach stable material. The deeper foundations must be completed before the contractor can install the light poles that have already been delivered.

“We know the soil is really bad out there. It’s basically quicksand,” said contracted City Engineer Dave Harden. He said the soil left crews with no choice but to redesign the foundations to reach firmer ground. “They have to come up with a method to drill down that deep in order to provide the stability those light poles are going to require in order not to sink and to not fall over during winds or earthquakes or any of that stuff.”

The unstable soil has also created additional work on the field. Crews must return to clear weeds that grew during the delay, lower sprinkler heads and regrade areas that were already prepared once but must now be redone before turf can be planted. Harden said the extra work is necessary to bring the site back to a condition suitable for finishing the field and establishing grass.

The sports complex is funded in part by a $3 million Proposition 68 Rural Recreation and Tourism Grant, with the city responsible for remaining costs that had already climbed to roughly $760,000 before the latest setback. The additional foundation work pushes the city’s share even higher as the project moves toward completion.

The city still must purchase signage, picnic tables and other items that were intentionally left out of the construction contract so the city could secure better pricing. Those items remain part of the overall project budget and will be installed after the contractor completes its portion of the work. The concession building will be delivered as a prefabricated unit and set in place once the pad is ready.

Council members acknowledged the cost increase was difficult to absorb but said the city is already heavily invested in completing the complex. The council approved the added cost on a unanimous vote.

The project remains on a tight timeline, but officials expressed confidence that the latest round of drilling will finally stabilize the site and allow construction to advance.