A proposal to bring a new, large-scale sports complex to town drew strong support Tuesday evening, as the Davis City Council voted 5-0 to set early planning efforts for the complex into motion.

The sports complex idea is proposed as a way to address the growing need for playing fields for local teams. After six months of study — building on years of prior outreach and research — the Sports Complex Task Force reported that the proposed complex would support the 6,000-plus Davis residents who participate in sports and could bring in big economic benefits as well as support for the city’s wide range of athletic programs.

The new complex could cover a 50- to 125-acre area and would serve primarily softball, baseball and soccer groups. The task force found three potential sites on the outskirts of Davis, but stated that it was out of its reach to recommend a specific location at this point in the process.

Councilman Will Arnold — who also served as the task force’s chair before his election to the council — explained that after taking a closer look at the city’s needs, he turned from being an advocate to an active supporter of the sports complex idea.

“Nearly half of (sports groups) have to leave town for practice … that goes straight to equal access for our kids,” Arnold said. “That’s an absolute dereliction of our duties as adults in this town.”

Indeed, surveys sent to organized and pick-up sports groups around town reported that 85 percent of sports groups said their current field resources don’t meet their needs and 42 percent travel outside of Davis for practices.

Some groups, such as Little League and Davis Youth Softball, have space to practice on proper diamonds only once a week, spending the rest of their practice time on any other grass spaces around town they can snag.

While patching up the city’s current stock of playing fields could provide some relief, 46 percent of the groups said that wouldn’t be enough to cover their needs.

“There’s no shortage of grass in this town, just a shortage of grass that can be used safely,” said Carson Wilcox, president of the Davis Youth Softball Association, who presented the task force’s findings to the council.

Wilcox went on to explain that many of the task force’s survey respondents see the shortage of playing fields as a city requirement that hasn’t been met for the past 10 years.

“They reject the concept of this being a luxury addition to the city’s resources,” he said. “They see it as a massive negligence on the city’s part to keep up with the needs of the population.”

While the bill for building the new complex would land in the tens of millions, the task force recommended forming a nonprofit — led by local sports groups — that would cover the project’s business plan, funding sources and maintenance.

The task force drew on examples such as the Davis High School Blue & White Foundation, which raised $1.6 million in cash and in-kind services to modernize the high school’s $7.5 million football stadium. They also pointed to Davis Legacy Soccer, which built a 16-field complex east of El Macero for $600,000 — a far lower cost than the going commercial rate, due to charitable donations.

The new sports complex also would give local leagues new opportunities to host tournaments, which could not only help fund the sports complex, but also would provide economic draw for the city’s hotels and restaurants, the task force reported. Cities of similar size to Davis earn up to $10 million a year in sports-related tourism, the task force report states.

The report did not dive significantly into environmental effects, but designated parking, traffic and environmental sustainability as “critical design factors,” for any future proposals for a sports complex.

Councilwoman Rochelle Swanson’s motion directed staff to draft a request for proposals to solicit private property owners who may be interested in taking up the sports complex.

“I think it’s the right thing to do for our community; it’s a huge piece of our quality of life,” Swanson said.

The council’s vote moves the sports complex conversations to the next step, which will include a public hearing before the Recreation and Parks Commission and inclusion in the 2016-18 City Council goals. In the meantime, additional funding, as available, could be funneled towards patching up local parks and playing fields.

 

Source : davisenterprise.com

Report Abuse