From: Diana Rich
To: Mary Gourley
Subject: Fwd: Ives Park
Date: Tuesday, February 01, 2022 3:06:41 PM
Mary: Can you please forward the email below to the full City Council. It was directed to me as a City Councilperson, but I’m sure the sender would appreciate it being shared with all on the Council. Thank you. Diana
Please reply to: Diana Rich
Sebastopol City Council
[email protected]
Begin forwarded message:
From: Greg Jacobs < >
Subject: Ives Park
Date: February 1, 2022 at 2:15:58 PM PST
To: Diana Rich >
Dear Diana, I just found out about the Calder Creek plans. I am not a little leaguer, but I did try to play for a year or two until I discovered I could swim on the Sea Serpents a few feet away from the pool! No one knew I needed glasses at an early age. Okay so re the ballpark. Having been involved in the Analy-El Mo brouhaha, I can only ask, did the Planning Commission take into consideration that both the ballpark and pool serve a large area, far greater than Sebastopol. And I also ask if there was an attempt to reach those "stakeholders"; or was it like the Analy rebranding plan by the superintendent, which was done without much public notice. That is so important; to let the community know about something that can affect them like a park.
I imagine many thousands of hours have been donated to maintain the park by LL since the 50's. I know many improvements were the result of donations, by Rotary, and Little League, including the lights, which are unusual for a LL program to have. And I wonder if the LL was maintaining the field while the Planning Commission was working with WRI and Schwitzer to consider removing the ballpark. I do not know the answer, but if the commission did not let LL know that would have been very unfair. .
Mrs. Katherine Ives donated the land to the city in the late 30s' for a public pool, "which she felt was important to the well being of a community." That is public recreation, and I think removal of the ballpark would cut against her wishes. It seems that the city would be "unjustly enriched" (legal theory) if after thousands of dollars invested in the ballpark by the LL would be taken away after 70 years.
Especially if LL was not really consulted.
Ironically, Rotary spent $20,00 on new starting blocks for the pool. There is a metal plaque poolside the commemorates the donation, and is in honor of Rotarian, and life long Sebastopol prominent citizen Peter Hill, "Who as a Little Leaguer used to hit the ball from Polley Field into Ives Pool." Take away the ball field, and the plaque to the memory of Pete becomes meaningless.
I remember when I was on the Park and Rec Commission in the late 70's, I had to chair the meetings which determined how Ragle Park was to be used. There was a tennis group, a horse group, a soccer group, a dog group, and of course a group which wanted the entire park turned into open space, with some trails. After a number of hearings we came up with a plan which took into account all points of view, and it has worked for 40 years.
;Greg Jacobs Sebastopol