City of Sunnyvale
Agenda Item
22-0166 Agenda Date: 3/9/2022
REPORT TO PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Recommend Approval of the Consultant Report for Study Issue DPW 19-07 Ascertain Suitable Location(s) for the Installation of Youth Cricket Batting Cages and Potential Funding Sources
BACKGROUND
During public outreach for the Fair Oaks Park Renovation Project (RTC No. 18-0646), several residents spoke and provided input for the conceptual design emphasizing the desire for both a cricket pitch and cricket batting cages to be built in City parks. There is currently one cricket pitch in the City located at Ortega Park and no cricket batting cages. During the public comment portion of the approval of the Conceptual Design for the Fair Oaks Park Renovation Project at City Council, multiple residents also spoke to the need as well as benefits of City provided cricket facilities.
Verde Design, Inc. was hired to study and evaluate the potential locations for future cricket batting cages considering demographics, potential demand, other current sports user groups, park locations and existing amenities. The Study also identified possible locations for the batting cages, the potential for shared use with little league and potential funding sources.
EXISTING POLICY
General Plan, Chapter 3, Land Use and Transportation - Open Space, Goal LT-8 Options for Healthy Living - Create a city development pattern and improve the city’s infrastructure in order to maximize healthy choices for all ages, including physical activity, use of the outdoors, and access to fresh food.
General Plan, Chapter 4, Community Character - Recreation, Goal CC-11 Wide Range of Recreation Programming - The City strives to ensure equal opportunities for participation and to provide for a range of structured and unstructured uses, and a variety of general and special interest uses in parks and facilities. The city also provides a wide range of program choices, open space, amenities and facility offerings to meet the recreational needs of a diverse and changing population, including identified subgroups and special populations. Policies related to acquiring and/or developing open space facilities and amenities are also included here. Competing interests and finite resources, however, require the City to set some priorities. (Previously Open Space and Recreation Goal 2.2.D / Adopted in 2006).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The acceptance of the Study Issue Report does not require environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it involves a feasibility or planning study for possible future actions that have not been approved, adopted, or funded. (CEQA Guidelines Section
Attachment 1
22-0166 Agenda Date: 3/9/2022
15262.) Appropriate environmental review will occur prior to approval of construction of cricket batting cages; such construction would likely be exempt from CEQA review under the categorical exemptions for small structures (CEQA Guidelines Section 15303) and minor alterations to land (CEQA Guidelines Section 15304).
DISCUSSION
Currently, there is only one cricket pitch in Sunnyvale at Ortega Park with no cricket batting cages.
Considering there is only one pitch in Sunnyvale and no current plans to add additional pitches, many players have expressed a desire to have a batting cage for practice purposes. The focus of the Study was to identify possible locations for the batting cages, the potential for shared use with little league and to identify potential funding sources.
The Study included a Park Assessment, which evaluated all of Sunnyvale’s parks for possible locations. The determinations were based on items such as size, space, lighting, and restrooms. The community input process included two virtual outreach meetings, on September 17 with 22 participants and September 26 with 23 participants. There was also an online survey with 135 responses that began on August 10
th and ended on September 14th. Batting cage designs were developed with different materials, sizes and costs. A cost analysis was performed and funding sources identified for the different types of cages, private funding and\or public funding or shared use funding.
The Study recommendations included six parks as potential locations for shared-use batting cages:
Ortega Park, De Anza Park, Fair Oaks Park, Lakewood Park, Raynor Park and Serra Park. The Study recommended that the current two batting cages could be refurbished at De Anza Park and Serra Park and provided an analysis of potential options for City Council consideration for funding and design.
At this time there is no plan or project to construct any cricket batting cages. The Study was completed to determine potential locations. If cricket batting cages were constructed in the future, these would be the most suitable locations.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact at this time. However, should consideration be given to building batting cages in City parks, it is important to note that there is no funding in the 20-year Project Budget for the construction of new batting cages. Current estimates for constructing new batting cage(s) ranges from $400,000 for a single bay batting cage to $2.2 million for a 4-bay batting cage. Because no funds are currently dedicated for construction, potential user groups may want to consider partnerships (pubic and/or private) to acquire funding should the City approve any construction of batting cages. This funding sentiment was also reflected in the Community Survey section of the Study where 59% of respondents favored joint funding between the City and user groups to pay for construction. Should the batting cages be built with private funds, the construction costs may be less.
Also identified in the report is the possibility of refurbishing the existing little league batting cages within the same footprint. The estimated cost to refurbish the little league batting cages is approximately $15,000.
Funding for batting cages could also be considered with future major park renovation projects but would need to compete for funding with other park features. Major renovations are planned for
Attachment 1
22-0166 Agenda Date: 3/9/2022
Lakewood Park in the near term and for Los Palmas and Serra Parks in approximately five years.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Recommend that City Council approve the Verde Design Inc. Study Issue Report as presented in Attachment 1 and Study recommendations including six parks as potential locations for shared-use batting cages: Ortega Park, De Anza Park, Fair Oaks Park, Lakewood Park, Raynor Park and Serra Park.
2. Do not recommend approving the Verde Design Inc. Study Issue Report as presented in Attachment 1 and ask for additional information or analysis to be included in the report.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1. Recommend that City Council approve the Verde Design, Inc. Study Issue Report as presented in Attachment 1 and Study recommendations including six parks as potential locations for shared-use batting cages: Ortega Park, De Anza Park, Fair Oaks Park, Lakewood Park, Raynor Park and Serra Park.
Prepared by: James Stark, Superintendent of Parks and Golf Reviewed by: Chip Taylor, Director of Public Works
Reviewed by: Teri Silva, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Study Issue Report
Attachment 1