HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/12/2008, C5 - ATHLETIC FIELD NEEDS STUDY council M Z L UO
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CITY O F SAN LUIS OBISPO
FROM: Betsy Kiser, Parks &Recreation Director
Prepared By: Linda Fitzgerald, Recreation Manager
SUBJECT: ATHLETIC FIELD NEEDS STUDY
CAO RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Delay the study session on synthetic turf, and direct staff to conduct an Athletic Fields
Needs Study to explore all options for enhancing athletic fields; and
2. Allocate $15,000 from the Synthetic Turf CIP project to complete the study.
DISCUSSION
Background
In December 2005, staff presented a report to Council on synthetic turf and received an
endorsement to prepare a capital project request in 2007-09 to install the product at Stockton
Field, located in Sinsheimer Park. During the financial plan process, however, the Council
questioned the estimated high cost of the project and asked staff to return with an in-depth cost-
benefit analysis of the product, before proceeding further.
New questions that have surfaced
While doing the research and preparing the report for the proposed study session, the staff team
working on the issue began to "step back" and ponder more fundamental questions about the path
we have been on in pursing this capital project. The first question was whether or not investing
$1 million dollars at Stockton Field would be the wisest synthetic turf option, or if it might make
more sense to shift our focus to the SLO Baseball Stadium surface? The synthetic turf estimate
for SLO Baseball Stadium, however, was approximately $2 million. This led to two, more
fundamental questions:
1. What is presently the actual unmet needs of the field users in the community, given the
addition of Damon Garcia Sports Fields and the renovations to Stockton Field and El
Chorro Fields?
2. Is an expensive investment in synthetic turf the best method for meeting those needs or
are there other more cost-effective alternatives?
To consider these questions, staff has completed some early research and has also consulted
informally with some field users. Attached is a memorandum which summarizes this
preliminary research. It is important to emphasize that the options set forth in this staff paper
are very preliminary and serve more as examples than developed alternatives.
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Athletic Field Needs Study Page 2
Request to defer the study session and pursue the more fundamental questions
As noted earlier, with Damon-Garcia and El Chorro fields now in use, the "baseline" has
changed in our field inventory since we began on a path toward synthetic turf. In order to
investigate field use needs in light of this new baseline, staff is recommending that we defer a
study session that focuses solely on our interest in synthetic turf. Instead, we are asking that
Council support a broader and more in-depth analysis of current field use and projected use over
the next 10-20 years. The analysis would also identify unmet needs and options for meeting those
needs, including a cost analysis and priorities for potential field development strategies. Once
the study is complete, and after reviewing its findings with the Parks and Recreation Commission
and Joint Use Committee, staff will return to Council for further discussion and decision-making.
CONCURRENCES
The Parks & Recreation Commission and Joint Use Committee support the recommendation to
"step back" and take a broader look at field needs and how the funding presently in our budget
for synthetic turf might best be used to meet those needs. The answer could result in proceeding
with synthetic turf, or pursuing other alternatives.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is $25,000 budgeted for the design portion of the Synthetic Turf project. Staff would like
to use $15,000 to hire a consultant to work with the community to identify unmet athletic field
needs. In the event that synthetic turf is not the best option for meeting the community's needs,
the funds already allocated could be reallocated to projects that would be more cost effective in.
fulfilling the unmet needs.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Proceed with a re-scheduled study session on synthetic turf. Staff sees synthetic turf as one
of the solutions to the field use issues, not the preferred solution to the problem at this time.
Further investigation is needed to be certain that this is the best means to solve the field use
concerns.
2. Direct staff to complete the needs assessment. A third party can provide a better overview
and is likely to get honest responses from users regarding their needs. Staff resources are
limited in being able to complete the assessment in a timely manner.
ATTACHMENT
Preliminary Option Paper Regarding Field Needs
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ATTACHMENT
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DATE: February 4, 2008
TO: Ken Hampian, CAO
VIA: Betsy Kiser, Parks and Recreation Director
FROM: Linda Fitzgerald,Recreation Manager
SUBJECT: PRELIMINARY STUDY PAPER REGARDING FIELD NEEDS
In preparing the report for the synthetic turf study session, an important component was to assess
current field uses for each athletic organization using City and School District facilities. Staff
conducted an informal poll with the 15 youth and adult turf and diamond sport athletic groups on
their current uses and whether their needs were being met by the outdoor facilities within San
Luis Obispo. The following information came to light during the research:
1. There are several user groups needing year-round facilities. These tend to be youth
club-type organizations or adult leagues wishing to play all year; all are soccer
groups. They tend to use Damon-Garcia and school district facilities.
2. When looking at the annual field uses, every available public athletic facility except
SLO High School is being utilized; most facilities are used between 6-12 months each
year. Regarding private facilities, Mission College Prep is not being used by the
public while Laureate School is used year-round by SLO Rugby.
3. The heaviest impact occurs in the months of February through May where there is
overlap between turf and diamond sports. During that overlap time, there are practice
uses by turf sports groups on facilities used by diamond sports, which create conflict
and impact those in the diamond sports from having sufficient facilities during their
peak use times.
4. When each organization was asked if their field needs were being met, two significant
issues surfaced:
a. In most cases, facilities for league play were sufficient but there is a very strong
need for more practice facilities, particularly for youth.
b. The majority of those groups using Damon-Garcia indicated that turf
improvements are needed as they feel restricted by the limited amount of time
they can use the facility right now.
As a result of these findings, there appear to be a number of options that could assist in fulfilling
these unmet facility needs, either separately or in conjunction with one another: These options
are very preliminary and are only intended to provide examples and begin a broader thought .
process. These are not listed in any particular order of preference:
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ATTACHMENT
Expand use on one or two youth baseball fields by adding lights.
The Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken youth baseball and SLO Girls Softball programs are held during the
school year so teams are unable to practice any earlier than 4 p.m. on weekdays and can only
play on an unlit field until 7 p.m. or so. The addition of lights would permit teams to play an
extra two hours and allow at least five to ten more teams to pick up a practice time during the
week. Additionally, after baseball season is over, the lighted fields could be rented out to soccer
groups for practices as well.
With input from Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken Baseball, the ideal locations would be Throop Park
(located at Pacheco Elementary School), Sinsheimer Elementary, and CL Smith Elementary,
which are school district sites. Possible City facilities would be Meadow and Islay Parks. There
are constraints with all of these sites with nearby residents, and therefore would require further
investigation to determine if any of these locations are feasible solutions.
This project could be completed within 2 to 4 years.
Build a new youth baseball field...somewhere.
When searching for locations to build sports fields 14 years ago, staff found that little available
buildable land existed within City limits and only a limited amount of land existed adjacent to
City limits that would be feasible to build a sport facility. Future development in the Margarita
and Orcutt areas is still at least 4 to 12 years away and any parks built in those areas will fulfill
the need for the additional residents but does not address the current population's needs. Laguna
Lake Park has adequate space for a baseball and/or softball field but this use is not compatible
with the park's master plan. If this option were to be chosen, land may need to be obtained and
annexed before the facility is constructed.
This project would likely be completed within 10-12 years.
Continue Efforts to Improve the Turf at Damon-Garcia Sports Fields
The most common complaint by all of the turf field users is the condition of the grass at Damon-
Garcia. Improving the turf conditions could allow for additional practice uses to occur at Damon-
Garcia, thereby reducing the impacts experienced on diamond facilities during their peak use
times. Staff has developed a project management plan to address the Damon-Garcia turf issue
which focuses on both maintenance and scheduling of the facility. A CIP request for turf
improvements was approved by Council and project work is underway by Public Works staff. It
appears evident, however, that strengthening these fields to withstand the volume of.use they are
getting will require added funding. This project could be completed within 1-2 years.
Install Synthetic Turf at either Stockton Field or SLO Baseball Stadium
Staff initially proposed Stockton Field as the location to place synthetic turf and has considered
SLO Stadium as another strong option. The Stadium can accommodate a full sized football or
soccer field if the majority of the field is covered with synthetic turf and/or the fences are moved;
Stockton Field could accommodate a full size soccer field but not a regulation football field.
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ATTACHMENT
At an estimated cost of$1.9 million to convert SLO Stadium to synthetic turf, it would solve the
problem for the soccer groups needing another practice field in the months of October through
January, which is the current down time for the Stadium and would allow for some practices for
the older youth baseball teams from February through May. There would be cost savings in
water use and reduced man-hours for maintenance.
The cost to convert Stockton Field would be about $1 million and has similar cost savings,
although the amount of renovation that occurs at this location each year is significantly less than
what occurs at the Stadium. Additionally, due to the size of Stockton Field, alternate uses would
be limited to younger athletes and practices only.
With the bigger need occurring between February through May for both turf sports and diamond
sports, a synthetic turf conversion at either Stockton Field or SLO Stadium may not be the best
solution to fulfill the needs of the diamond sports groups but would likely benefit the turf groups
in adding another practice location during the times that baseball is not in season.
This project could be completed within 1-2 years.
Work with SLCUSD and Mission College Prep to make their fields more available.
Existing facilities at SLO High School and Mission Prep are not being used currently by outside
organizations although in the past they have. Both are dormant during the summer months when
they might be used as practice sites for youth baseball at the Babe Ruth level or game sites for
Central Coast Men's Baseball, which competes for facilities during the heavily impacted months
of June and July.
Converting Holt Field to synthetic turf has been on the radar for years, as evidenced by a 2005-
07 Major City Goal to "assist local citizen groups in research and neighborhood outreach on the
Holt field project". The project has surfaced once again and interested parties are looking to the
City for assistance. A partnership with the school district and other stakeholders interested in the
Holt Field project could occur with possibly the City making a contribution for the project in
exchange for more community use of the facility once the conversion has been completed.
The feasibility of this option could be addressed within the next few months.
Engage the SLO Youth Sports Association (YSA) to work with their membership to resolve
some of the field use conflicts and work with staff to open discussions with adult organizations
in conflict with youth team uses.
As discussed earlier, there are field use conflicts in the spring months when turf sports users
infringe on facilities used by the diamond sports for practices. Both Babe Ruth Baseball and
Girls Softball are affected during the 5-6 months they hold their programs, while the turf sports
are extending their season in some cases. Intervention by the YSA could help with any conflicts
between their membership and staff could become involved in situations where adult groups are
infringing upon facilities used by youth.
This option could be addressed within the next few months.
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