Saratoga News
News
Council tables Kevin Moran Park design talk until Sept. 20 meeting
By Shannon Burkey
With the negotiations to use the soccer fields at West Valley College still under way, the design plans for Kevin Moran Park are uncertain.
At an Aug. 2 city council meeting, the council voted 3-2 to table the issue of the Kevin Moran Park conceptual design plan until there is more information available on the fields at West Valley or at other alternate venues.
Councilman Nick Streit said he thinks its premature to talk about the design of Kevin Moran Park at this point. Once an agreement has been made on alternate field space, then the issue of Kevin Moran Park should be brought back to the council, he said.
"There are two sides that don't trust us," Streit said. "When we piecemeal things, they don't get the whole picture. If we don't bring these back simultaneously, we will have another war."
Councilwoman Kathleen King said it is important to have all the options in front of the council at once.
"You have to work all the areas in parallel; you can't do them all sequentially," King said.
At a July 20 city council meeting, the council voted to set aside $250,000 to look for alternate soccer fields for the city's youth soccer groups, thus taking away the need for a full-size play field at Kevin Moran Park. That way, improvement to Kevin Moran Park would likely follow a plan recommended by neighbors that included a practice field, basketball, tennis and bocce ball courts, a meditation garden, bathrooms and a parking lot.
Advocates on both sides claimed this would be a win-win situation.
Mayor Norman Kline said he wants the council to go forward with a specific direction at this time and would like to see a modified plan come back to the council that interested parties can take a look at. Putting the park design plans on hold until negotiations with West Valley go through will send the wrong message, he said.
"We are basically saying that the neighborhood plan is only contingent on West Valley going through, and if it doesn't, then we might be back to look at Kevin Moran Park for a full-size field."
The mayor said the only item the soccer side and the neighbors disagreed about was a full-size playing field. The rest of the design was approved by those involved.
Saratoga resident David Mighdoll said he does not think it was legitimate for the council to change the plans for Kevin Moran Park without notifying all the interested parties. The council approved a plan June 7 that included a full-size field in the park.
Mighdoll said he felt all the people who were at that meeting should have had the opportunity to attend the July 20 meeting, but said many did not even know the park issue was going to be on the agenda.
"This is a community park, not a neighborhood park, and everyone needs to be properly notified," Mighdoll said as he addressed the council. "You need to go back to the June 7 direction and notice people."
The lack of soccer playing fields has long been a problem in Saratoga. But in addition to the possible use of two fields at West Valley College, Streit said talks are under way for the use of additional fields at an undisclosed venue that could be in use as early as September.
The council decided the issue will be brought back at its Sept. 20 meeting when members most likely will have more information to work with and more of the community, home from summer vacations, can be involved.
"This is still a community park, and I don't want the wider community to be shut out," Councilwoman Ann Waltonsmith said.
