Woodside moves ahead on playing field Woodside moves ahead on playing field (June 23, 2004)

** Project escapes appeal, lawsuit.

By Andrea Gemmet
Almanac Staff Writer

If it was breezy in Woodside last week, it might have been from the collective sigh of relief from Barkley field supporters as the news spread that the deadline to file an appeal had expired and no one had come forward to challenge the project.

On June 2, the Woodside Planning Commission unanimously approved the town's plans to build a new park and playing field on donated land across from Canada College on Farm Hill Boulevard, following a last-minute deal reached between Town Manager Susan George and representatives of the Woodhill Estates homeowners association.

Many of the park site's nearest neighbors were strongly opposed to having a park replace undeveloped open space, and at least one resident had threatened to file a lawsuit to stop it.

The deadline for appealing the commission's decision to the Town Council was 5 p.m. Monday, June 14. Effectively, no appeal means no lawsuit.

Also on June 14, at a special meeting, the Woodside Town Council gave Ms. George authorization to negotiate a contract for up to $250,000 with consultants from Beals Alliance to draft construction drawings and coordinate construction work.

The park will include an overlapping baseball diamond and soccer field, playground equipment, bathrooms and a parking lot. Woodside residents have long been lobbying for a new field in town to help with the huge shortage in field space for the numerous youth sports teams.

The Barkley Fields and Park project is a public-private collaboration, with almost $2.5 million in private funds being raised to help pay for its construction on approximately six acres of land donated by Woodside resident Noel Perry. Construction plans are being funded out of $302,000 state park grant awarded to the town.

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