Menlo Park voters will likely get the chance in November to advise the City Council on a controversial issue in the community — whether to build playing fields for soccer and baseball at the 160-acre Bayfront Park off Marsh Road.
The City Council voted 3-2 on July 18 to put an advisory measure on the ballot. Final council action is expected at tonight’s (July 25) meeting.
The meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at the Civic Center. Check AlmanacNews.com for a news update.
The city still doesn’t know the specific costs and environmental effects of building fields at the park, which is atop a capped landfill and adjacent to a wildlife refuge.
Consultants hired by the city said it is possible to build fields at the park, and have pegged the costs of grading, capping and building on the landfill at about $1 million an acre.
Specific line-item costs and additional estimated costs for maintaining the fields will not be determined before voters head to the polls in November, said Ruben Nino, the city’s director of engineering services.
He said the city will continue further studies, including an environmental impact report and traffic studies, only if the advisory ballot measure is passed.
Thus far, representatives from the Bay Conservation and Development Commission and the Regional Water Control Board “have no problems” with the city’s conceptual plans to develop the park, Mr. Nino said.
Public Works Director Kent Steffens said if the city doesn’t have any problems with obtaining support from regulatory agencies, fields could be built at the park in about three years.
Divided council
At last week’s meeting, council members Nicholas Jellins, Mickie Winkler and Lee Duboc supported the measure. They have pushed to build fields at the park since November, and are backed by local sports groups.Council members Kelly Fergusson and Andy Cohen opposed the measure. They have called for keeping the park, which is adjacent to the Bay and a wildlife refuge, as open space. They are backed by environmentalists and open space advocates.
Mayor Jellins said that any decision regarding the future of the park will become a “political issue,” and it should be up to the voters whether to move forward with putting fields at the park.
Ms. Fergusson and Mr. Cohen said it’s still far from proven that fields can be built at the park. They said the high costs of building the fields — estimated at $15 million to $17 million for four fields — plus the process of amending permits with regulatory agencies, could keep voter-approved fields from ever being built.
They said the three council members in the majority want the measure on the ballot to garner support from sports groups in a year when all three of their seats are up for election.
“This is clearly a political ploy that is nothing short of deceitful in order to get the support of the sports community,” Ms. Fergusson said. “This is another example of the council majority trying to hoodwink the public.”
Mayor Jellins said he does not intend to run for re-election, and council members Winkler and Duboc have yet to announce whether they will run.
Ms. Duboc said despite the high costs of building fields at the park, the process would be less expensive than buying land elsewhere for new fields. “To get what we need when it comes to sports fields, we need to consider Bayfront Park,” she said.
It would cost the city about $30,000 to put the advisory measure on the November ballot.
No funds have been earmarked for developing the park. However, Mr. Steffens said, if several proposed housing projects are approved, the city could receive about $6.5 million of recreation-in-lieu fees for field construction.
Questions remain
Thirteen of 16 people who addressed the council said they had reservations with moving forward with the ballot measure because the city has yet to determine if fields can be built at the park.Speakers included representatives from local environmental groups and three members of the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission.
“We have to hear all the information to make decisions,” said Richard Cline, a parks commissioner. “[The commission’s] recommendation is to take your time and get all the information before making a decision.”
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