After negotiations failed in San Jose, SJ Soccer Foundation
seeks new land in South Valley Much to the disappointment of Morgan
Hill city officials, a regional soccer group looking to build a
large youth soccer complex has made an offer to buy land in San
Benito County instead of northern Morgan Hill.
Much to the disappointment of Morgan Hill city officials, a regional soccer group looking to build a large youth soccer complex has made an offer to buy land in San Benito County instead of northern Morgan Hill.
In mid-August, the San Jose Soccer Complex Foundation made an offer to buy about 170 acres on Highway 25 near Shore Road in San Benito County, according to Dave Morton, the organization’s president. The group hopes to build more than 20 soccer fields there that would draw people – and their money – from across the nation. The foundation has yet to hear if the property owner is going to accept the offer. Morton declined to say how much his group offered.
The SJSF had originally set its sights on creating a regional soccer complex north of Morgan Hill’s Sobrato High School, and the City of Morgan Hill was prepared to devote $980,000 in Redevelopment Agency funds for the project. However, SJSF withdrew from the project this summer because the City of San Jose, which owns the greenbelt adjacent to the high school, refused to allow permanent restrooms or concession stands on the fields.
David Morton, president of the San Jose Soccer Complex Foundation, told the Times in July that at the Sobrato site the Foundation “would not be able to have a permanent facility, everything would have to be modular, there would be no electricity other than a generator provided, irrigation would be above ground, not below, there was an issue with respect to the water … We just felt it was in the best interest of the Foundation to look elsewhere.”
The SJSF had used a site on Condit Road in Morgan Hill, which the city plans to build a new Outdoor Sports Complex, to host their regional tournaments for years. Losing the venue will have a negative effect on the city, City Manager Ed Tewes said.
“(Soccer groups) playing in the Morgan Hill fields have had a great value economically to our community, and that is why we were prepared to help the soccer foundation if it considered Morgan Hill as a future site for their regional soccer complex,” Tewes said, after learning about the SJSF efforts to purchase land in San Benito County. “We are, of course, disappointed that the group could not reach an agreement with the City of San Jose, but we understand their decision.”
Morton expressed his appreciation for the Morgan Hill’s support of the proposed Silicon Valley Soccer Complex.
If the sale goes through, the SJSCF hopes to eventually build 24 to 26 fields on the property as well as some permanent buildings, such as concession stands. People from throughout the United States would travel to the soccer complex for youth soccer tournaments for about 45 weekends a year, bringing customers to local restaurants, places of lodging and other businesses that surround the facility, according to Morton.
“I think it would be very positive,” Morton said. “The people visiting the facility would want food services, potential lodging and gasoline.”
San Benito County Supervisor Don Marcus said he met with Morton several weeks ago and was impressed with the SJSCF, its plans for the soccer complex and the potential that it would have for bringing revenue into the county.
“The organization sounds like it has the experience level needed to create the soccer fields. It sounded to me like a good viable activity for our county,” he said. “I think it will lead to people from outside coming into San Benito County for weekend activities.”
According to Morton, the SJSCF will continue looking at other potential locations until it hears back from the San Benito County property owner. But, he added, the foundation is very interested in making San Benito County it’s new home because of the size and price of the parcel as well as it’s location.
“This is the first offer we’ve put in,” he said. “We’re pretty focused on the San Benito County parcel.”
The SJSCF, an offshoot of the California Youth Soccer Association North, was formed in 2003 to find a new place for the soccer association to hold games and tournaments.
In addition to the property in San Jose and San Benito, the foundation has also looked at properties near Garlic World, just south of Gilroy along Highway 101.
