Willow Glen Resident

News

Willow Glen public meeting planned to discuss sports fields

By Stephen Baxter

San Jose parks officials are taking an inventory of the city's sports fields and trying to find more land for organized sports.

Four more public meetings, including one in Willow Glen, will be held this fall to update residents on the project, which has several aims.

The inventory project will develop a list of 35 potential sites for new fields, set up a new computer system for reserving fields and prioritize a list of parks where fields could be developed.

Park officials sent surveys to sports groups and schools to determine which parts of the city are most in need of fields. By July 23, about half of those surveyed had replied.

Though the inventory is not finished, parks officials are already looking into some new places to play.

New fields are under construction at Leland High School and city staff is looking into building sports fields at Kelley Park near Senter and Story roads. City staff is also drafting an agreement to construct lighted soccer and softball fields at a 10-acre park in South San Jose.

The survey came after Councilwoman Nancy Pyle suggested last October that the city hire an outside consultant to complete a sports fields master plan to look at ways that the city could partner with local school and sports groups to utilize more city space for sports usage.

San Jose parks officials will hold four more meetings on the community sports fields study. All meetings take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Meetings are set for: Sept. 10, Evergreen Community Center, 4860 San Felipe Road; Oct. 1, Camden Community Center, 3369 Union Ave.; Nov. 5, Willows Senior Center, 2175 Lincoln Ave.; and Dec. 10, Almaden Community Center, 6445 Camden Ave.