Use of RDA funds questioned; private leagues could get first
dibs
Morgan Hill – City Hall narrowly approved a $10 million plan Wednesday to use redevelopment agency funds to build athletic fields that could be leased to a private soccer league on weekends while taxpayers pick up the bill.
In a 3-2 decision, Mayor Steve Tate and council members Larry Carr and Greg Sellers voted for the plan while Marby Lee and Mark Grzan opposed it.
The decision will convert two existing grass fields to synthetic-turf fields and bring bleachers, a clubhouse, field lights, a parking lot and other amenities to a 38-acre complex on Condit Road owned by the RDA.
There are 11 grass soccer fields at the site that are leased to the California Youth Soccer League (CYSA) for regional tournaments for about $12,000 a year. The city estimates operational costs for the enhanced facility could be $71,000 a year depending on usage. The cost would be covered by money from field renters and general fund dollars.
Don Mott, vice president of Orchard Valley Youth Soccer League, a CYSA division consisting of about 1,200 boys and girls ages 6 to 18 from Morgan Hill, Gilroy and San Martin, said the league is pleased with the council’s decision.
“This soccer complex is the only facility in northern California that CYSA operates,” Mott said after the meeting. “This is a very unique place and CYSA can direct all the traffic from northern California into Morgan Hill at their discretion. If we have a state -of-the-art facility that’s what could happen for the next 30 or 40 years.”
Mott said the soccer tournaments – many are Bay Area regional events – bring up to 147,000 visitors a year to Morgan Hill to spend money on hotels, food and gas.
CYSA is negotiating a new lease with the city that could give the league first dibs on the artificial-turf fields on weekends.
The visitor-serving segment of the project irked Grzan, who questioned the concept of pouring Morgan Hill tax dollars into a regional recreational facility.
“The whole idea of becoming a regional center bothers me,” Grzan said, also arguing the project was too expensive. “Kids don’t care if there’s a gravel parking lot … they just want to play.”
Tate said the investment would pay off in terms of more people using the fields.
In September 2006, the council authorized the design of two artificial turf fields as the first phase of an outdoor sports complex on land purchased by the RDA for $7.7 million in 2001. In designing the fields, the architect was asked to draw two sets of plans. One set of plans was for a scaled-down version of the two fields costing $2.8 million. The other set of plans was for a “complete” version of phase-one construction that includes amenities such as lights, bleachers and a sidewalk linking the neighboring Aquatics Center. Encouraged by a $330 million RDA plan approved in November, the council approved the second, more expensive version.
Lee opposed the idea of new RDA funds being steered away from economic development.
“I have serious concerns about using RDA money for this,” Lee said. “If we aren’t able to bring in money to support this, operational costs would come out of the general fund.”
Councilman Greg Sellers said investments in community facilities could reduce crime and increase quality of life. He also said a state-of-the-art facility would send a positive message to visiting sports teams that a “gravel parking lot” and “porto potties” can’t achieve.
Councilman Larry Carr said he has no issue with using RDA money for the project. Voters passed an advisory referendum for RDA projects including the outdoor sports complex in 1999. Carr said the vote reveals public support for the project.
“This is exactly what the voters asked us to do,” Carr said. “The goal with using RDA money (for this project) is to gain more (recreational) access for Morgan Hill Youth.”
Tony Burchyns covers Morgan Hill for The Times. Reach him at (408) 779-4106 ext. 201 or tburchyns@morganhilltimes.
