December 05, 2003

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Publication Date: Friday, December 05, 2003

Professional, amateur designers to look at Bernal plan

The City Council voted 3-1 Tuesday to ask professional land use planners and amateur designers to develop a comprehensive plan for the city's undeveloped 318 acres of public land - the so-called Bernal property along both sides of I-680 south of Bernal Avenue. Designs must include the two planned baseball fields as developed in the park's master plan.

City staff was given the green light to spend at least $55,000 to hire an outside consultant to conduct the competition process. Those qualified would create the "design character concept" for the property, with cash awards up to $5,000 for professionals with the top five designs and $500 in the amateur design category.

The council's action added the sports fields requirement after objections to the design competition came from representatives of sports organizations, local sports enthusiasts and Jerry Thorne, chairman of the Pleasanton Parks and Recreation Commission. Thorne, who also headed the Council-appointed Bernal Community Park Task Force, urged the council to exclude from its design competition the 50 acres at the northeast corner of the site that has already been designed for sports fields.

"Keep in mind that a huge task force made up of a huge cross section of our community has held public hearings, hired public consultants and received the approval of the Parks and Recreation Commission for the plan already before you," Thorne said. "As a taxpayer as well as chairman of that commission, I ask you not to throw away those fields."

After more than an hour of public debate, the council voted to proceed with the design competition, adding the requirement to incorporate at least the two sports fields from Thorne's Community Park Task Force. They also gave the option for participants to provide a second concept with no constraints. Three council members voted in favor of the plan: Mayor Tom Pico, Kay Ayala and Steve Brozosky, who first proposed the competition concept. Councilwoman Jennifer Hosterman was absent from the meeting.

Councilman Matt Campbell opposed the move, arguing that Pleasanton residents had already spent hundreds of hours in public meetings voicing their views on Bernal, but that public input would be limited if outside land use architects now took over that responsibility.

"I'm uncomfortable with this competition plan because it will reduce the public process role," Campbell said. "For three years, we've had task forces and other public meetings with different groups. Now all of a sudden we want to throw all of this out and open it to competition. I think it's a flawed plan."

Brozosky disagreed. He said public input would be an essential part of the competition.

"Also, we're assuming that we have about 320 acres to develop," Brozosky added. "But the fact is that only about 150 of those acres are in the central part of the Bernal property. While a sports park there would be nice, it would serve mainly those who come to play or watch sports, and then they leave. I want to see a park where people can just hang out, a place for families, a place where people can come and sit by the water or play on the playgrounds."

Several task forces have been appointed by the City Council to determine how the Bernal property should be developed since the land was given to the city free of charge by a developer coalition headed by Greenbriar Homes. The land donation was part of a $126 million purchase agreement when Greenbriar bought the 502-acre Bernal parcel from its former owner, the city of San Francisco. As part of that agreement, developers received city approval to build 581 homes, which are now all built or under construction.

Also approved were plans by South Bay Construction to build eight four-story office buildings on 40 acres along the east side of I-680. With the recession and current glut of vacant office space in the Bay Area, including Pleasanton, South Bay pulled back on its plans. City officials recently granted the developer a two-to-10 year extension on its approval.

To expedite the design and construction of additional sports fields, Greenbriar turned over title to 50 acres of its newly acquired property at the time of purchase so that work could get under way quickly. The rest of the 318-acre grant was deeded to the city last year.

As public meetings proceeded, it was clear that some in the community believed too many projects were being planned for what Councilwoman Ayala described Tuesday as "the last significant piece of public property in Pleasanton." The costly and detailed plan for the 50-acre sports park was the final casualty as the council decided to take another look at the total 318-acre site.

Pico insisted, however, that he wants to proceed quickly on building at least two of the proposed five baseball diamonds.

Ted Kinzer, president of the Pleasanton Pony baseball league, said no new baseball fields have been built here for years despite a rapid growth in young players.

"We're having to cut back on games and are now starting to look for field space outside of Pleasanton," he said.

Others from flag football, lacrosse and soccer organizations said their teams are suffering similar shortages at a time when new home construction is bringing in more families with young children who want to play sports.

"I do see a need for more field space," Brozosky said. "Perhaps the city can work with the school district to finance more fields at school sites to meet the needs faster."

Kurt Kummer, co-chair of a group planning a Bernal Block Party on the public acreage April 17, urged those who are interested in competing in the design effort to survey the hundreds of Pleasanton residents who are expected to turn out for the event.

"These designers can find out then if people want the sports fields as proposed on the site, and if the plan to put them at the northeast corner is the right one," Kummer said. "I don't hear anyone asking to take the sports fields off Bernal, they're just questioning where they should be located. The design competition will be a good way to find out."

City Planning Director Brian Swift said his office will hire a professional design competition consultant to start the process, at costs estimated at $40,000 for the consultant and $15,000 for added services. Designers will be given a list of potential land uses for the site that have been proposed by the various task forces, including the recently completed sports park plan. That plan includes five baseball diamonds, three soccer fields that would also be shared with lacrosse teams, and two fields to accommodate both football and lacrosse. The sports park plan also included three separate parking lots that would accommodate 550 vehicles.

Other proposed uses include an ACE train station, to be relocated from the Fairgrounds parking lot, and facilities to accommodate civic arts, child care, a theater, trails, a youth center and 4-H club exhibit and grazing space.

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