March 15, 2007

City Council and school district to vote on joint Leland field renovation project

Proposal calls for shared cost and usage of upgraded sports fields at Leland High School

By Ali Abdollahi
Staff Writer

The City Council and San Jose Unified School District Board of Education will be independently considering and voting on a joint project to upgrade the soccer fields at Leland High School.

A current view of the Athletic fields at Leland. The proposal calls for 5000 hours annual (after 5 p.m. to sunset on weekdays and 8 a.m. to sunset weekends during the school year; 8 a.m. to sunset on school holidays and summer vacation.) Photo by Diego Abeloos

The proposal would install synthetic turf in two soccer fields at Leland and build support amenities such as bathrooms and a snack shack to facilitate community access.

The joint project was proposed because, prior to the city’s contribution, the district did not have sufficient funds to convert the two fields or to build the support amenities. In exchange for its investment, the city will be entitled to 5,000 hours of use of the three synthetic turf fields at Leland (the two fields slated for upgrade, plus Pat Tillman Stadium). Both bodies seek to have the fields renovated by September 2007.

The proposal does not include the baseball and softball fields, according to Councilmember Nancy Pyle.

Pyle said that the project is a good fit for the current needs of the city. “We took a look at what we already had through a feasibility study of sports fields for the entire city,” said Pyle. “Our existing fields in the city for community and adult usage are already jam-packed.”

If the plan is approved, the city will invest $2.15 million for the design, construction and joint use fields and
amenities. The district would invest $3.6 million into the project out of funds from Bond Measure F, designated for improvements to schools.

Pyle’s District 10 will establish an appropriation of $350,000 for the project from its PDO/PFIO reserves to help offset the costs of amenities, including restrooms, storage and a concessions area. “We put forward the language to the PDO/PFIO towards the sports fields, and the council approved the use of those monies for this project,” said Pyle. “But the proposal also calls for those funds to be regenerated through the community use of the fields.” That regeneration of funds will occur as excess fees collected through the use fields are used to reimburse the city for the PDO/PFIO expenditures.

Remaining fees will be used to offset the future cost of turf replacement when necessary. The eventual turf replacement, anticipated to occur around 2020, will cost a projected $874,000.

The nature of the partnership and the installation of the synthetic turf will allow for maximum efficiency in field usage according to Pyle and SJUSD board member Leslie Reynolds, who have spearheaded this project for their respective governing bodies. “There are several advantages to turf,” said Reynolds. “It is useful year-round, so we can use our facilities to their full potential, and the turf significantly cuts down on injuries.”

Leland Principal Bob Setterlund said, “It think this is a really positive proposal. It allows for better utilization of the space for Leland and for the community. Ultimately, it’s safer for our students. The synthetic turf also makes it possible to use the fields in inclement weather, and obviously lowers maintenance costs.”

San Jose Unified School District Board Member Leslie Reynolds and District 10 Councilmember Nancy Pyle celebrate the "yin-yang" of their relationship while holding up a schematic showing proposed improvements to Leland High School sports fields which involves a partnership between the two factions and will be voted on in the coming weeks by the city council and the school board.

The district will be responsible for coordinating maintenance, and will present quarterly invoices to the city for half of the maintenance costs.

The partnership on this project between the city and the district is a unique methodology, described by a memo from Pyle’s office as representing “a new approach to service delivery that leverages mutual assets while minimizing operational costs.” Said Pyle, “This method of ‘co-ownership’ is new, and we hope that it will serve as a prototype for future collaborations in other areas of the district.”

Said Setterlund, “This also makes Leland a focal point in our community, and a complete member of the community. We’re very happy this is taking place.”

Not everyone affected, however, believes the new fields serve as an ultimate solution. Said Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League Vice President Patty O’Malley, “We are very supportive of the effort to replace the grass fields with (synthetic) surfaces, and look forward to being able to use the new fields for our local youth.

“AVYSL’s only difficulty with the new fields," said O'Malley, "is that we have to pay $50 per hour for usage of these fields. As more fields change to turf, it may cause an increase in fees for local youth soccer programs, unless a substantial discount is granted for non-profit youth organizations of turn field use.”

O’Malley also said, “While retrofitting the fields is great, it really doesn’t solve the problem of shortage of fields in Almaden Valley, as there will still be a shortage of fields when this project is completed.”

The projects coordinators acknowledged that more needs to be done to alleviate the shortage of athletic fields, and have explored the possibility of upgrading the fields at three other local schools, one by one, over the next several years.

However, this proposal is an important step in itself, according to Pyle. “The school will look much better, it is a better use of the land, and it’s much more affordable than other alternatives,” Pyle said.

“It’s a true partnership,” said Reynolds. “We had the same goal; to provide quality fields for the community. Both the city and the district feel like they are getting a fair deal.”