Commission settles on plan for Congress Springs Park

By Leigh Ann Maze

The Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously endorsed one of four renovation plans for Congress Springs Park at a community input meeting on Aug. 7. If approved by the Saratoga City Council on Sept. 5, the estimated $1.2 million renovation could move forward into the design phase.

The favored plan involves redesigning the layout of the park's five play fields that organizations such as Saratoga Little League, American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) and the Saratoga Pony League use.

The current fields would be redesigned so they could be striped for up to eight soccer fields, three permanent Little League infields, two portable Little League infields and two T-ball infields. Some of these would overlap, so they wouldn't be able to be used at the same time.

The present tennis and basketball courts at the park would be removed to maximize use for Little League and soccer. The irrigation system would be replaced, new grass would be laid down and a new storage building and yard would be built.

The pony league baseball field would be relocated to El Quito Park as part of the plan, as well. A public meeting to discuss improvements and the proposed change to El Quito Park will be held on Aug. 21, at 7 p.m. at Saratoga City Hall.

Public Works director John Cherbone said he hopes the Congress Springs Park renovation will be complete by October 2001. One more community input meeting will be held on Nov. 6, and the final project design will be presented to the council on Feb. 6, 2001, before work can begin.

Once completed, a groundskeeper, whom the city plans to hire with money from the park development fund, will maintain the park.

As part of a separate project, the renovation of the restrooms at Congress Springs Park is scheduled to be finished by the end of August, according to Cherbone.

About 15 residents who live near Congress Springs Park came to the Aug. 7 community input meeting. Most of them felt the renovation would only make worse what they say are existing traffic, speeding and parking problems near the park.

"I think we should keep the park as it is," said Glen Brae Drive resident Scott Wheelwright. "We already have a traffic problem; let's not exacerbate it."

Commissioner Elaine Clabeaux responded that the park renovation is meant to facilitate better use of the 10-acre park, not increased use.

Keith Simon, president of Saratoga Little League, said the renovation will not bring increased traffic, rather, more flexibility in how the park's fields can be used.

Several other residents were disappointed that the plan only caters to Little League and soccer players and does not offer recreation for all residents.

"If we lose the tennis courts, where will we play?" asked Quito Road resident Michael Rotherham. "We're going to accommodate a lot of kids who play soccer, but what about the rest of the residents of Saratoga? I think we need to take care of everybody."

Plans to renovate the park came about because of the limited amount and availability of playfields in Saratoga and the need for long overdue safety improvements at Congress Springs, Cherbone said.

"This is the only park we have to maximize playfield usage for the kids," said Councilman Nick Streit, who attended the meeting. Historically, the park has been used primarily for baseball and soccer, according to Cherbone.

After hearing the concerns of the public, the commissioners endorsed the plan--but with several recommendations attached, including completing a traffic study, a track around the perimeter, a budget for landscaping and relocation of the tennis courts to another area of the city.

Since June, the city has been meeting with user groups to see what they want and need for the Congress Springs project. An architect came up with about eight different options for the redesign of the park.

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