Donlon fields move forward Donlon fields move forward (December 17, 2004)

City accepts design, will work with school district on funding
by Dolores Fox Ciardelli

The nine acres of sports fields at Donlon Elementary School are one step closer to being renovated after the City Council accepted a "basic improvements" design last week.

"The city was asked to look at making improvements at Donlon as part of the modernization work being done there," said Jim Wolfe, director of Parks and Community Services, noting that the school district is modernizing all its campuses. "When the council set its priorities for 2004-05, Donlon was set as one of the highest."

The school has been using the site for physical education classes, recess and lunch play, and local teams have used it for practices and games. But the fields have deteriorated over the last few years due to inadequate irrigation and the heavy clay soil.

In April, the City Council approved $30,000 to hire a consultant to design an upgrade for the fields. RPM Design Group was chosen, the same firm that assisted with the two master plan designs for Bernal Community Park.

RPM plans call for upgrading the nine-acre site for two baseball and three soccer fields for use by the school and Pleasanton sports organizations. Costs are estimated in a range from $2.2 million to $4.1 million. The project would be done in phases so some of the fields would always remain open.

Councilman Steve Brozosky said the design should be scaled down to save money, noting plans for four trash cans priced at $1,200 each and a 12-foot-by-12-foot storage building at $26,000. "I don't think this is supposed to be a sports park. We just need some usable fields," he said.

"This is a good chance to give added fields to our community," said Councilwoman Cindy McGovern. She also expressed concern about funding for the Bernal Community Park, and said she would like to make basic improvements to the Donlon fields and get its price tag "in the ballpark."

Wolfe said that although reaction to project plans has been positive at public hearings, the biggest issue is a proposal to erect a perimeter fence. Neighbors do not want to be fenced out of the property, but the school principal wants the fields to be fenced for security purposes.

"Neighbors like that they can go there and fly a kite and walk their dog," said Wolfe. Response has been 50-50 as to whether they should be fenced in, he added.

The Parks and Recreation Commission recommended that money for the project not be taken from the fund for Capital Improvement Projects and that costs be paid two-thirds by the city and one-third by the school district.

Councilman Matt Sullivan noted that the proposed Alviso Adobe park on Foothill Road is also short of funds. "We should see where we want to spend park money across the board," he said, adding, "I would like to hear from the neighbors about the fence."

"We'd like you to react to the plan conceptually," said City Manager Nelson Fialho. He said staff will discuss funding with the school district, as well as get a better reading on money for the lighted sports fields on the Bernal property within a month or two.

The council voted unanimously to accept the design for five athletic fields and defer plans for fencing until a later date. They also directed staff to work with the school district on decreasing project costs and toward joint funding of the project.

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