The home field for the Alpine Little League team in Portola Valley has three portable toilets lined up at the edge of the Dorothy Ford Field parking lot, located in front of its decades-old snack shack. The Parks and Recreation Committee is spearheading the project to build a much needed two-in-one flushable restroom and concessions stand funded by donations and grants.
During a recent Town Council meeting, council members expressed their support for moving forward with the project’s concept design phase and for staff to draft a resolution that would allow the town to spend money on the new construction.
In 2021, a $180,000 state grant was authorized and approved by the Town Council “to fund the construction of a new restroom building at Ford Field to provide users with toilet and sink facilities,” according to the staff report. Now, the town has two years left to use the funds before the grant money goes to waste, said Town Manager Darcy Smith.
The project is estimated to take about two and a half years to complete and “could be a successful project with no town funds,” she added.
Prior to the meeting, over 20 local residents emailed the town clerk sharing their support for a restroom and upgraded snack shack. Many pointed out that a restroom would benefit not only the Alpine Little League families but also the town’s community of hikers, cyclists and runners.
Alpine Little League players, parents and community members also joined the meeting in person to express the need for a new concessions stand and permanent restroom facility.
Along with serving ballgame snacks like Cracker Jacks, chips, sunflower seeds and candy the shack also serves postgame meals — “a valued tradition” where both teams stay after the game to socialize, said Karen Askey, a member of the Parks and Recreation Committee.
The dilapidated snack shack has rats, mold and no hot water, according to Smith.
Proposed project
The project was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainties around Ford Field being considered as a potential housing site in the housing element, Askey said. With two years left to use state grants, town staff urged the council to move quickly to push forth the project.
The committee presented the council with a prefabricated building that would serve as a joint restroom and concession stand with a storage room and water heater. The proposed blueprint was for a 17-by-20-foot building that would be 40% restroom, 40% snack shack and 20% storage.
The committee estimated the building would cost about $230,000. Additional funds will be needed to build a concrete base and to hookup utilities for sewer, electrical and water, said Askey.
There are also considerations on whether the new building should be built in the existing area, in the open space area or in the parking lot. The current snack shack is located within the town’s 75-foot Alpine Road scenic corridor setback and does not adhere to the setback requirements.
“I think the precedent of having the existing snack shack where it currently is means that nobody notices it,” said Council member Rebecca Flynn, who opposed building it in the parking lot, adding that it would make it more noticeable from the road.
Fundraising details
In addition to the grant, the town is also seeking its first partnership with the Portola Valley Fund, a new nonprofit organization that aims to address the town’s budget issues by fundraising for various projects. In May, the Town Council adopted a donation and gift acceptance policy that would allow them to receive financial support during its budget emergency.
Historically, the town has had great success with fundraising for town projects. In 2005, the town raised $15 million in private donations to build the Town Center.
“We have very generous, heavy hitters in this town and it’s been 20 years since we’ve had any large fundraising campaign,” said Askey.
The West Menlo Little League also has committed to offering at least $60,000 to the project, she added. The Parks and Recreation Committee shared that it has an unallocated fund of $17,000 that it is willing to put toward the project.
While there have been many verbal commitments to donating, Mayor Judith Hasko asked the committee whether it was possible to obtain pledges to get a stronger estimate on how much people would be willing to donate and when.
Council member Helen Wolter asked what would happen if the fundraising fails, using the example of Atherton’s 2017 failed attempt at fundraising $25 million for a new civic center.
Smith ensured that the committee would have backup options, adding that the progress for the fundraising campaign would be tracked before they proceed with each step in the project.
“(Ford Field) is a beautiful ballpark and it deserves not to have plastic bins everywhere and a much more thoughtful layout, ” said Hasko. “I agree that this community can make this happen. We have these values in common and we should definitely move forward.”
Although Vice Mayor Craig Taylor was absent from the meeting, all other council members shared their support for the town to pursue the Ford Field project. According to Smith, a resolution to start the project will be presented to the council at its next regular Town Council meeting in November.
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