The city is looking at purchasing additional land for future
sports fields, namely for baseball and softball. That’s a good
thing.
The city is looking at purchasing additional land for future sports fields, namely for baseball and softball. That’s a good thing.
To achieve the city’s goal as identified in its parks master plan and capital improvement program of 147 acres of public parks, or about five acres for every 1,000 residents, it needs to accumulate another 61 acres of city-owned parks, recreation fields and facilities.
It would be nice if the city could purchase 10 acres on the northeast corner of Condit Road and Tennant Avenue just yards from the heavily-used Outdoor Sports Center and Aquatics Center, but not for the $6.2 million asking price. Last year, the city council approved the purchase of 43 acres on Monterey Road south of town known as Uesugi Farms’ Pumpkin Patch for $4.45 million. The city intended to use that property for future baseball and softball fields, but the deal fell through when city staff realized the city could not afford the cost to relocate the current occupants. Obviously, there is more – and apparently cheaper – land south of town, but no hotels and few restaurants. The city has about $6.9 million in its park impact fund, which is financed by developers’ impact fees. That money can only be used for capital expenses such as property purchases.
Putting all the athletic fields in one location would create a synergy with nearby hotels and eateries, and make the entire area easier to market. It could become a regional sports destination.
But recently the city council changed the preferred location for the future baseball and softball complex. Instead of trying to develop the fields adjacent to the existing OSC, the city decided to locate them elsewhere.
Soccer is increasingly popular in Morgan Hill, said Recreation and Community Services Director Steve Rymer, and any available vacant land adjacent to the OSC would be better for soccer.
“The OSC is better for rectangular fields, and it would be better not to have both (soccer and baseball) on the same facility,” Rymer told reporter Michael Moore.
Rymer declined to comment on the feasibility of the plan for land on Condit Road or the desirability of the owner’s property, though he said he first spoke to the property owner about the possibility several months ago. Rymer said the city is “looking at” other properties “within the city limits and (on) adjacent unincorporated county land.” He declined to say how many properties the city has looked at or where they are exactly.
The city should seriously look at land around the OSC, for additional soccer and baseball and softball diamonds, if the price is right. If it is, policies can always be changed.
