December 11, 2003


City Council gives the AYA sports fields project the go-ahead

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

At a meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 25, the City Council voted to approve a recommendation that would allow RBF Consultants to proceed with the amendment to the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed AYA sports fields in Almaden. According to treasurer Dan Kennedy, “It’s basically a response to the opposition with the initial EIR issues that needed further study. It’s not a big step, but one that we’ve been waiting for. The big step will be to get the ERI finished and approved and then to start digging dirt.”

In a statement from Vice Mayor Pat Dando, the purpose of the amended EIR will be to reevaluate any concerns that have been raised by the community. “For the most part, that’s traffic and water,” she says.

Dando expects the amendment to be done within four to six months, after which it will go to the planning commission for review, and then back to the City Council sometime late summer or early fall.

“We don’t have a firm timeline, but that’s being processed,” says Kennedy. “Right now, it’s just a matter of waiting until they finish their studies and distribute it for public comment.”