Saratoga News Commission delays decision on playfields improvements By Steve Enders The future of a proposal to build new sports playing fields in Saratoga has suddenly become bogged down with loads of questions and concerns that the city's Parks and Recreation Commission says need to be answered. And that's making those residents who thought the process was steaming ahead toward imminent approval, breathe easier. After more than four hours of discussion and public commentary Feb. 1, the commission decided it was not prepared to take the next step and offer a recommendation approving new fields to the City Council. Instead, the board voted 6-1, with Frank Friedrich dissenting, to take a step backward and break into smaller focus groups, go into the communities where the fields may be built and hold meetings with homeowner representatives to address their concerns. After reviewing the commission's options, city staff liaison Irene Jacobs said, "This is really just the beginning. Much more input is needed from the public, and there is much more communication that needs to be done before this goes to council. The council likes things in pretty packages, and this is not a pretty package." Had the commission approved the proposal, the City Council would have had the option to either approve or deny the proposal or send it back to the commission for further review. The proposal calls for rebuilding soccer and baseball fields, while entering into agreements with the various school districts and user groups to provide for maintenance, removing those costs from the city. Commissioners instead agreed they should send two representatives into the four neighborhoods to meet with at least two homeowners' representatives in each, as well as members of the user groups, which include AYSO soccer and Quito Little League. In these more personal meetings to be held over the next month, commissioners said they'll be looking to compromise and to ease neighbors' fears about the proposal. After fears are quelled, commissioners hope they'll be able to make a solid recommendation to the City Council. The decision came partly because of the number of residents who have been voicing opinions against the potential for traffic, parking, trash and noise increases that they feel could afflict their neighborhoods. About 90 residents filled the senior daycare center for last Monday's meeting, nearly doubling the turnout from an information-only City Council meeting two weeks ago. The council heard testimony on what needs to be done at the four sites from city-hired consultant Jay Beals. The council took no action at its meeting. At the Feb. 1 meeting, Beals gave parks commissioners a similar presentation, stating the need for new and improved sports fields at Foothill Elementary School, Blue Hills Elementary/Azule Park, Marshall Lane Elementary School and Congress Springs Park. Beals was hired to help the city figure out how it can get the best for the $2 million it has to spend from parks development funds. That figure was later disputed by commissioners, who figured the amount they have to spend on the fields is actually about $1.1 million, or about the same amount as the proposed improvements to the Marshall Lane site. Beals again told the audience that his firm wasn't hired to study traffic issues in any of the neighborhoods. However, Beals did say that during game days, traffic would likely increase in those neighborhoods. Beals said that if the council ever approves the fields plan, environmental and traffic impact studies would be conducted, which would seek solutions to any traffic or parking problems. Commissioners were close to approving the Foothill and Congress Springs proposals because of the lack of opposition, but didn't after considering the cost and the neighbors who should be surveyed. Seemingly absent from the meeting were representatives from the Congress Springs neighborhood. But just because those residents weren't at the meeting doesn't mean there isn't opposition, commissioners said, before agreeing they should have a small meeting in that neighborhood as well. In coming weeks, the commission will also seek to whittle down the proposals and try to determine what the fields really need. Added expenses in Beals' survey include building team dugouts, public bathrooms and drinking fountains, none of which any of the sites have. Commissioner Sheila Ioannou said she'd like to explore a bond measure and use of the Heritage Orchard site--an idea, according to city staff, that would be next to impossible to get by the City Council. The process of initiating surveys and getting information out to citizens would likely be a slow and expensive process, according to Irene Jacobs. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, February 10, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.