Because a regional soccer group is having difficulties with the
City of San Jose, Morgan Hill might lose out on keeping its soccer
complex nearby.
Because a regional soccer group is having difficulties with the City of San Jose, Morgan Hill might lose out on keeping its soccer complex nearby.
Instead, the many families from Northern California and throughout the Western United States who visit Morgan Hill 45 weeks out of the year – using hotels, restaurants, gas stations and shops and leaving behind many thousands of dollars – could go to San Benito County or to a site south of Gilroy. Some weekend soccer tournaments draw thousands of participants and their families.
The Morgan Hill Council delayed a decision Wednesday night to commit $1 million to help the San Jose Soccer Complex Foundation (SJSCF) with development and construction costs for the 49.5-acre site next to Ann Sobrato High School on Burnett Avenue just north of the city limits. Instead council continued the matter for a month until the dispute can be resolved.
The SJSCF is now looking at property on Highway 25 near Shore Road and another across from Garlic World south of Gilroy along U.S. 101.
The Regional Soccer Complex has been located on 35 acres on Condit Road since 1993. Because the city now plans an outdoor sports complex on the site, the regional group was planning to spend $3.5 million building 16 fields in San Jose’s greenbelt between the high school and Monterey Road.
The soccer foundation has been negotiating with the City of San Jose to make the move happen. It is those negotiations that are at a standstill.
SJSCF President David Morton said Thursday that the “straw that broke the camel’s back” revolves around what he says is a new demand for San Jose to have exclusive use of several fields.
“The City of San Jose was going to have the use of three fields with scheduling by mutual agreement,” Morton said. “But in the latest draft, the city described the three fields as being for their exclusive use. That, along with the tone of the document led us to believe our operations control has significantly diminished. We’d be spending millions of dollars for the benefit of the city.”
Don Mott, a member of Orchard Valley Soccer League (OYSL includes youngsters from San Jose to Gilroy) and the SJSCF boards, said that he understood the problem came not only from control of the three acres but also from San Jose’s proposing to move some fields closer to U.S. 101 – no freeway access but possibly better drainage. The foundation was to pay for an expensive new environmental impact report that would be necessary.
“San Jose was to commission and EIR for the present block of 16 fields to be completed by August 2005,” Mott said. “It has been started.”
Albert Balagso, assistant director for San Jose’s parks, recreation and neighborhood services who has been working with the SJSCF, said his understanding of the issues was slightly different.
“The exclusive use of the three fields would be in lieu of the $18,000 a year that the foundation would have paid to lease the land,” Balagso said. “And the foundation could use them when San Jose wasn’t.”
Building some fields on 26 acres between Sobrato High School and U.S. 101 that Mott mentioned as a troublesome issue was contemplated at one time, he said, and SJSCF inquired if they could use the site.
“It’s okay with us if they do it but we don’t have the money for another EIR,” Balagso said.
He said studies for the original EIR were under way but did have a late start because of delays transferring the property from the Morgan Hill School District to San Jose. The report is due to be finished by November. The land was originally given to the school district by the Sobrato Construction family.
San Jose acquired the property as partial settlement of a lawsuit and land trade that allowed the high school to be built in San Jose’s greenbelt.
San Jose gave the school district money to buy non-greenbelt land. The city would not allow structures to be built on greenbelt land; soccer fields would also not have permanent structures but would be served by portable restrooms and concession stands.
To try to break the logjam, the soccer foundation has asked for a meeting with San Jose to discuss their differences. Balagso said one was scheduled for last Monday but was postponed because of city budget meetings. Another will be scheduled soon, he promised.
So far, the City of Morgan Hill has spent only $26,000 on the soccer complex design.
Morgan Hill City Councilman Larry Carr said the news that the city might lose the soccer complex was a blow.
“We’ve been working on this project for quite some time,” Carr said. “It’s disappointing that they are having problems with San Jose that make the site difficult. They were very excited about our participation.”
Morton agreed.
“Our relations with the City of Morgan Hill are very good,” Morton said. “They want to partner with us and have been very cooperative.”
He said they had tried to find affordable land to buy in Morgan Hill but found property prices too high; thus the San Benito County/Gilroy search.
David Vossbrink, press officer for San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, said that shared use is something San Jose does all the time.
“San Jose has been supportive of collaborative agreements with schools and nonprofits that provide benefits for everybody involved,” Vossbrink said.
Carol Holzgrafe covers City Hall for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at ch********@mo*************.com or phoning (408) 779-4106 Ext. 201
