This field north of town may be the new sport park by September 2012. Press file
After two years of negotiations, the City Council voted Tuesday, March 1, to work together with several youth sports leagues to build a sports complex on old Holly Sugar land west of Tracy Boulevard.
Rod Buchanan, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, called it “a huge milestone.”
It’s taken more than two years to get the youth sports teams on board with the plan, but Buchanan, as well as the City Council, praised their membership for sticking with the process.
“I think this is long past due,” said Councilman Robert Rickman. “I have kids, and I understand we need fields.”
According to a staff report to the City Council, four leagues — Tracy Little League, Tracy Babe Ruth, Tracy Youth Soccer League and Tracy Futbol Club — agreed to a memorandum of understanding with the city that would have the city put in infrastructure in exchange for the leagues building, maintaining and getting the rights to use those fields.
Buchanan said it’s a unique, if not groundbreaking, partnership that maximizes what the city can build.
Tracy Express Softball, the Associacion de Clubs Unidos Soccer League, Soccer Xtar Liga and the Afghan Soccer Club are expected to sign similar a memorandum in April or May, while the Tracy Raiders, Tracy Cougars, Tracy Buccaneers and Alternativo Futbol plan to wait for a future phase of development before signing on.
The first phase of building would result in 12 baseball diamonds and eight soccer fields, while future phases would include softball and football facilities.
The first construction phase — at least the infrastructure work that must be done through a contractor — will cost an estimated $8.09 million.
And though the city only has $7.61 million set aside for the sports complex project, engineer Kul Sharma said a favorable climate for construction costs should help the city come in under budget.
“I feel very confident,” he said.
Nice!
We HAVE a plenitude of sports fields all over town handy to the potential players. They are the ones we already pay for at the schools. Why on earth do we need to build and maintain ANOTHER complete set of fields for after school and weekends? Tracy youth played on these fields for generations in the past. Why do we need two sets of fields now?
We don't.It makes no sense at all in this economy.
Doesn't the city have a budget deficit?
That means more tax revenue and more businesses wanting to open there.
Yesterday, I found myself driving to the Kragens on Tracy Blvd around noon. Traffic in both directions from beyond Clover to Larch was absolutely jammed. I sat through 2 cycles of the traffic signal at Clover before I was able to make my turn. When I left 20 mins later, it was no better. And the city wants to add an additional ~2000 trips per hour but doesn't have the money to fix the roads (read the earlier link I posted to the Tracy Press article.)
I'm not very impressed with this planning - I have no doubt that the city council jam this through. Then when they realize there isn't the money to address the traffic issues, they will come to the voters with hat in hand and ask for another special sales tax increase.
In fact they're not well versed in the legality of any land development deals. That shows from the recent decision by the judge regarding Ellis. I am hopefull the city council is willing to take off their blinders and work with Connelly rather than disqualifying his ideas before hearing anything he has to say.
I think what they'll find is that he's really a pretty smart guy who obviously knows the laws. To bad the city doesn't seem to be willing to work with anybody that offers alternative suggestions to their short sighted plans.
Time will tell.
People have waited long enough.
To the Connollys, would it be so difficult for you to extend your hand in helping see it happen? If you see anything illegal, chances are city council are not well versed in legalities of setting up sports park. Evelyn Tolbert, pay attention to paperwork, you are an attorney after all!
CN
Perhaps you are talking about the EIR from an earlier plan? I think the eleven million was suggested in the event they had installed only one entrance on Corral Hollow. In that case they would have to widen Corral Hollow, but some of that work was already done. I remember they had done some work on that underpass a few years ago. And I think the EIR suggested widening of Corral Hollow based on the original concept, or idea phase. Since then, if I remember correctly, I think they introduced a new idea to provide an entrance on Tracy Boulevard side. If so, I do think it was a smart move that will mitigate and reduce that traffic congestion on Corral Hollow (and thus reduce cost).
Another move. It seems the fields begin in phases. Like the press says, starting with Phase-I 12/8 fields will not only help assuage the demand for more fields. It will also help mitigate environmental impact by spreading out the impact's cost over the next 25 years. If I recall correctly, this is only 15% of the total acerage. So they could definitely expand it over the years as needed.
If you have 50% of the leagues suddenly having adequate fields it will certainly deliver a big decreas on the currently oversubscribed fields in the short term future.
In the long term the costs of impact would be spread out over the next 25 years as they develop from 15% to 100%. I would not say that's called ignoring the costs. It actually sounds like they paid attention to the costs and came up with a pretty good plan to handle it by spreading it out over a 25 year projected period where demand for sports fields was said will continue to spike.
From a business perspective, it actually makes sense if you can meet the demand of a spike and at the same time, spread out and reduce your costs over time (lets assume 10 to 25 years depending on future negotiations).
At any rate, the one time non-reoccuring cost of ONLY $8 million is probably music to peoples ears.
To me it certainly seems like "looking to the future". And in the best possible way of "looking to the future". At least I thought so after reading up on it a little bit.
With the apparent budget crisis, which has yet to curb the city's spending, any logical person would think;
"Hmm. Maybe we need to step back and think this thing through before we sink $8 million of taxpayer money into this project."
The next question they should ask themselves is; "Do we have the money to maintain this park?"
Then finally they should ask themselves;
"Is this what the majority of the citizens want?"
Only after answering these three questions should they then begin sinking money into another plan for a project they don't have the money to take care of.
Odds are, none of the council members, including "Pockets" maciel have thought this through. Had they done so they probably would have spent some time asking their constituents whether, or not, this is a good idea.
I guess that's just the way our mayor, council and city manager deal with the taxpayers;
Tell them what you think they want to hear.
Ask them to pay for things they don't really need.
Then ignore them when they find out the truth about what the city is proposing.
He's probably thankin, "Where's Irene when I need her?"
He's really tried already several times but kept his personal name out of it. I say it because he runs TRAQC an TRAQC minions did all th dirty work.
Haven't seen any lawsuits yet but thair was an attempt a couple of years back ta torpedo th project by fannin th flames of discontent consarnin a rather small pipeline that runs across th northwestern corner of th site parallel ta th large electrical towers thair.
That an Irene's charade of attemptin ta tell everyone it was hazardous fer kids ta get thair as it's on th north side of 205. Her an TRAQCs preference wus ta benefit thair friends by havin th size of th area reduced an moved over just ta th south of eleventh street an east on th east side of th railroad tracks of MacArthur on th east side of th railroad bridge meanin that she an TRAQC thought it would be safer fer kids ta cross th bridge an railroad tracks ta get ta th place.
Hum, no sidewalks except fer th bridge an railroad tracks ta cross, not ta mention an ole abandoned oil pipeline plus a Superfund cleanup Hazardous waste site at th Tracy Supply Depot on th southern boundary of th property.
That little shenanigan was bein supported also by Bob Sarvey, another TRAQC savant, who was all worked up about th Superfund cleanup site on LLNL's site 300 but conveniently overlooked th site at th Tracy Supply Depot in favor of TRAQC alliances.
Never could understand TRAQC an Irene's push to spend money ta buy property that was inferior in many respects over th larger, better positioned, larger and safer property th city already owned because they had purchased all of th Holly Sugar property, except th factory buildings themselves an th small amount of land they sit on.
It was pretty evident frum th game players involved that child recreation an safety was clearly secondary ta funnelin money ta someone desperately wantin a housing development permit ta build homes on th surroundin land just north of th Tracy Defense Depot in exchange fer a free parcel of park land in a deal pretty much like th deal Mark an TRAQC successfully squelched on th Ellis subdivision consarnin a Water Park facility that would have had a competition swimmin pool an other water park type features fer th recreation of our citizens an those who visit our area in exchange for RGAs.
Tolbert larned th planned development over by th Tracy Supply Depot, that would be permitted in exchange fer th parkland property, was ta be low income housin an was warm an supportive of th idea.
So, what can ya gather frum this?
It seems that money an under th table deals wus more important ta TRAQC an thair supporters than actually providin needed recreational facilities fer Tracy's children an citizens.
Irene's fall frum TRAQC grace occurred when she embarassed TRAQC over some of her other personal benefit shenagans with th city involvin th Bean Festival an th sidewalk in front of her place an a family problem with her husband's activities that became an embarrassment as well.
So at th next election whair Celeste ran fer Mayor, TRAQC turned on Irene an basically bit th hand that was supportin TRAQC behind th scene's as a City Council member.
An Irene's campaign manager? Why it was none other than Bob Sarvy's wife. Now ain't that very interestin?
If ya look inta th histories of TRAQC with Mark an Celeste, it's pretty easy ta see what th agenda really is an it ain't fer th betterment of anythang in Tracy but what monies they can extract frum it.
It's no secret an it's all a matter of recorded public record that Mark has attempted ta sequester an squelch on more than one occasion.
Property rights an dealin fairly in accordance with State an Federal Law? LMAO. Take a look inta th public records consarnin a patented mineral mine on Mark's property an how he has had years in court tryin ta prevent th mine owner frum workin th mine.
If ya don't know minin laws what Mark is doin consarnin this Patented minin claim is illegal an he's been in court several times on that one but ain't it strange that th only place ya can find this info is when ya look inta public record? Wonder why TP an others don't do a hack job on Mark an his dealins but will support Mark an TRAQC as they hack an frustrate th City's efforts ta provide thangs fer our citizens?
Nice ta have good friends on th editorial staff of TP ain't it?
Also nice ta be a member of two politically powerful families in th state as ya go around suin everyone an everythang an claimin thair breakin th law while yer actually doin virtually th same thang yerself an manipulatin law so yer not actually breakin it.
An people worry about th closed door sessions of City Council. Wouldn't it be nice ta be a fly on th wall fer th closed door sessions of a TRAQC meetin whair th majority of th members are secret members no one really knows about?
An ya really thank TRAQC is anyone's friend?
Wonder how Irene feels about TRAQC taday? Actually she wasn't a bad person but just sorta got sucked inta it all.
Oh, did I mention Irene was not a career politician but a BUSINESS WOMAN? Had ta mention it cus sum people thank an believe we need more business oriented people on th council.
Guess on that one ya could say, been thair, done that. But it don't mean that a business person couldn't do a good job on City Counsel any more than it means that former an current law enforcement officers can't do a good job on City Council either.
Now that ya got a little more of th story, go check it out fer accuracy an make up yer own mind about TRAQC an th City Council.