October 19, 2006

City Council agrees to fund sports field feasibility study

The San Jose City Council voted Tuesday to fund a feasibility study, not to exceed $165,000, for community sports fields. Under the measure, City Manager Les White will hire an outside consultant for the project before the end of this year.

The recommendation, sponsored by District 10 Councilmember Nancy Pyle, is designed to identify new sports field locations and to interconnect with the city’s Greenprint. The recommendation passed unanimously, but not without some discussion.

The council members agreed that it was about time something was done to provide sports fields for youngsters and for adults. “We’ve been spending four years on this, and it’s going to take four more years to get something accomplished,” said District 2 Councilmember Forrest Williams.

“This action is long overdue,” said District 8 Councilman Dave Cortese. “There’s an entire generation out there that won’t get to use the fields. I know of a number of people who were in their 30s when we first started to discuss this. They were hoping to get a softball complex. They will never get to play on those fields. It’s time to look forward.”

Pyle said the measure is designed to identify new locations for sports fields as well as determine whether existing fields can be used for youth and adult sports. Part of the study will look at using fields at local schools and colleges, such as San Jose State.

“This measure will help define the problems and put the fields exactly where people need them. In the past two years, we’ve looked at over 30 pieces of property and even made offers on two, but it wasn’t enough,” said Pyle.
Albert Balagso, acting director of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, said the study would “continue to pursue discussions with San Jose State [for sports complexes but would also] look at other complexes and check out turf renovation and substitute services.”

Measure P, which was passed by voters in 2000, allocates funds for development of community centers and sports complexes. While community centers have been built, no money has been used for sports fields.

The measure will determine what existing sports field facilities in San Jose are feasible for youth and adult sports complexes. It also will provide an analysis of existing conditions, use patterns and potential development opportunities and/or constraints such as ownership, lighting, access and parking. It is designed to document which sports groups will need the complexes and what exactly they will need. Part of the inventory will include the various groups associated with a sport, parameters for each sport, age groups, frequency of use and special requirements.

—By Carol Rosen