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Council joins hunt for athletic fields

Budget problem could impede finding new fields, improving existing ones

by Bill D'Agostino

The hunt to find solutions for the city's chronic shortage of athletic fields became a priority for the City Council this week after council members heard from several baseball, softball, rugby, lacrosse and soccer players.

Although the council has yet to allocate funds for a particular solution, they unanimously agreed during Tuesday night's meeting to place the issue high atop their already full list of priorities.

Youth-sport enthusiasts told the council the lack of practice fields prevented 170 players from participating in athletics last year. The poor condition of the existing fields has worsened an already grim situation.

Little League catcher Noah Sneider, 12, told the council that playing at a Jordan Middle School field presents several obstacles; he has to watch out for rocks and divots, dodge flying soccer balls and avoid speeding soccer players.

"My coach told me if I can field a ball in these circumstances, I can field anywhere," Sneider said.

"The field situation in Palo Alto is not acceptable," Parks and Recreation Commission Bill Garvey told the council. "Demand far exceeds supply."

A committee of local athletic leaders who studied the issue the past year suggested the city install synthetic grass and new lighting to get more use from the stuffed fields. They also want the council to find space for a new field, but admit that land is at a premium in the city.

The council agreed to direct staff to develop a plan to implement some of those short- and long-term solutions. But the city's budget problems -- there's an expected $9 million deficit next year -- will hurt the chances that any answers will materialize soon.

"You couldn't have picked a worse time to come forward to a municipality to ask for money," Councilwoman Nancy Lytle said after advocating that fields become one of the council's greatest priorities.

Committee member and Bobby Sox coach Mike Cobb said he hoped to have one short-term project completed in a few years, and a new field built by the end of the decade.

"I thought that was a pretty realistic timeframe," Councilman Jim Burch said.

There is some hope that synthetic turf could be installed, despite the budget situation, since they could potentially save money in the long term. The cost to lay the turf is expected to be between $400,000 to $700,000, but it requires less water and maintenance. Despite a glowing recommendation from the committee, who said the synthetic field is nothing like the 1970s "artificial turf," Lytle said she did have some lingering reservations about the use of turf.

"My question is: Can anything live in this?" she asked.

"The game is not over," Councilman Jack Morton said. "There's still a lot to do." E-mail Bill D'Agostino at billd@paweekly.com A version of this story appeared Wednesday at www.PaloAltoOnline.com