Los Gatos Planners OK Youth Sports Park

It wasn’t until after 11 p.m. Wednesday that the Los Gatos Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the master plan for a multi-use sports field that will be located on University Avenue.

The commission voted 6-0 in favor of the 180-by-300-foot soccer stadium at 930 University Ave. planned to be named the Creekside Sports Park. Commissioner Charles Erekson was absent.

However, planners didn't approve the proposed bridge that would connect the sports field to the Los Gatos Creek Trail on the backside of the homes on Las Miradas Drive.

In 2008, Santa Clara County purchased 13 acres of land from the town of Los Gatos for $6 million. The proceeds from the land sale, plus all accrued interest, were placed in a reserve fund specifically for community and youth sports facilities.

In 2009, the money from this fund was used to purchase the site, and in June 2010, the council adopted so-called guiding principles to be used in the master planning of the new facility to ensure timely and affordable development of a new youth and community sports and recreation facility.

Three alternate options for a bridge location were presented, which would require the demolishing of trees and green space along the Los Gatos Creek, but those choices were strongly opposed by those in attendance who waited five hours to speak Wednesday evening. One option was to avoid building over Los Gatos Creek by building the bridge over the Vasona Dam, which belongs to the Santa Clara Valley Water District.

Planning Commissioner John Bourgeois said that the commission could still approve the sports field and could keep the general plan open to building a bridge sometime in the future after more studies are conducted by town staff.

“Let’s approve the soccer field; it’s been long overdue,” said Bourgeois. “We need to hold off on the bridge. We don’t know who will use it or if it will even be used at all.”

According to plans, the proposed youth sports park will have 41 parking spaces along with a snack bar and restrooms.

Officials with the town's Parks and Public Works Department have had several community meetings, working with local agencies like the Santa Clara Valley Water District and getting the development approved by the Los Gatos Parks Commission.

“We’ve been working with the schools and the school districts here in town,” said Todd Capurso, director of parks and public works. “We are encouraging kids to ride their bikes or even walk to school; this will get them in the habit of using the bridge we are proposing.”

One group whose members were happy about the adoption of the park was the Los Gatos United Soccer League, which hosts 1,800 kids and is forced to spread its games out all over at Los Gatos and San Jose schools.