20 Staff Report - Supply and Demand for Soccer Fields in Los Gatos
DATE: TO: FROM: COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT DECEMBER 13,2004 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL DEBRA 1. FIGONE, TOWN MANAGER MEETING DATE: 12/20/04 ITEM NO. 20 SUBJECT: ACCEPT REPORT ON THE SUPPLY AND
DEMAND FOR SOCCER FIELDS IN LOS GATOS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION ON NEXT STEPS RECOMMENDATION: 1. Accept report on the supply and demand for soccer fields in Los Gatos. -2: --Provide-direction-onnextsteps
. BACKGROUND: At the January 24,2004 Town Council Retreat, theTown Council discussed the use ofTown parks for sports activities, in general, and for soccer fields specifically. This
discussion evolved from a request made by soccer parents, coaches and players to require a soccer field as part ofthe Gateway . development on Winchester Blvd (Sobrato).
At that time, these constituents stated that a sufficient supply of soccer fields does not exist in Los Gatos to meet the growing demand· for fields. The request for additional soccer
fields was repeated at the January 20th Town Council meeting, at which timethe Council sought public input on the use ofTownparks for sports facilities. The public also spoke about the
need a skateboard park at the January 20th meeting. A skateboard project is currently being pursued. Direction from the January 24th Council Retreat was for staff to assess the
status of sports fields available for soccer that were identified in a 1993 staff report on this matter. This assessment, as well as an analysis of the demand for soccer fields, are
included as part of this staff report. PREPARED BY: PAMELA S. JACOBS ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER N:\MGR\PJacobs\Council Reports\Soccer fields 12-06.wpd Reviewed by: __Assistant
Town Manager -V..L-Town Attorney__Finance __Community Development Revised: 12/16/04 10:58 am Reformatted: 5/30/02
PAGE 2 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: ACCEPT REPORT ON THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND FOR SOCCER FIELDS IN LOS GATOS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION ON NEXT STEPS (December 13, 2004) DISCUSSION: Supply
and DemandAnalysis To conduct the supply and demand analysis, the administration hired a temporary employee to gather information through interviews with soccer groups and agencies responsible
for sports fields. The detailed supply/demand analysis is included as Attachment 1. The demandportion analysis provides detailed information on youth soccer in Los Gatos, including the
number ofplayers, number ofrecreational and competitive teams, age groups, practice and game times/frequency, and field size requirements. The two primary youth soccer providers interviewed
for the analysis were the Los Gatos United Soccer League, offering both recreational and competitive ... __ _ G§.t()s-Sarfl!QgctCOIIlmllll.ity
QffeIing_ _ _ __ recreational soccer activities. The analysis translated the detailed
information provided into demand for practice and game fields in each season of the year. Regarding supply, the analysis identified sites available through the Los Gatos Union School
District, Union School District, Los Gatos High School, and Town parks. The analysis specifically assessed the current status of the sites identified in the 1993 study as to their availability
for soccer (the sites in the 1993 study were meant to be for a variety of sports activities, not just soccer). The key finding of the supply/demand analysis is that while fields exist
to accommodate LGUSL soccer games and recreational soccer programs provided through LGS Recreation, the number of fields is not available to accommodate the typical number of practices
needed for LGUSL soccer. Fields are available for limited practice needs, but are not available for practice at the typical frequency of soccer leagues, particularly between 5 pm and
7 pm on weekdays and at earlier times when daylight savings time ends. In addition, full-size fields are not available for the older youth teams (11 to 17 years) to practice. The lack
of practice fields is exacerbated when fields are taken out of play due to school construction or other reasons. While LGUSL andLGS Recreation are able to meet the basic needs for recreational
and competitive youth soccer, the groups cannot accommodate the desirable level ofplay or future growth in demand. According to LGUSL, -the addition of five full-sized fields would enable
them to meet the full demand for practices and adequate field sizes. The addition of one or two full-sized fields would greatly increase their flexibility to schedule practices, would
provide adequate sized fields for the older youth, and would provide a cushion in the event ofthe temporary loss offields. The addition of lights on one or more lighted fields would
allow more practices to occur when daylight savings time ends, reducing the impact on the the 3 to 5 pm time period and allowing more practices in general.
PAGE 3 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: ACCEPT REPORT ON THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND FOR SOCCER FIELDS IN LOS GATOS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION ON NEXT STEPS (December 13, 2004) Alternativesfor Addressing
the Soccer Field Supply Issue Short-Term Options For the short-term, soccer groups are operating within the constraints of a limited supply of soccer fields. When fields are taken out
of play due to construction or to changes in field use policies, LGUSL and LGS manage to identify substitute fields or to rearrange schedules to accommodate all players albeit at less
than ideal conditions. Optimizing the use ofavailable fields appears to be a common practice for the soccer groups. This is accomplished through sharing fields and juggling practice
times. Another approach the groups could explore is increasing practices during the 3 to 5 pm time slot, which is not as heavily used as pm time_
o"Y\'ingJo_theJack _ I of coaches available at this time and to competing after school
commitments for the youth: The I groups could explore the current feasibility ofthe 3 to 5 pm time slot, appealing to both parents and I:youth for more flexibility given the limited
supply of fields. Another option regarding the use of available fields that could be explored is installing temporary or permanent lighting on one or more fields. According to the soccer
groups, the most desired lighted fields would be those at Fisher, Blossom Hill, Van Meter and Dave's schools. Lighting one or more of these fields would increase the number of practices
possible for the 5 to 7 pm time slot and reduce the impact on the 3 to 5 pm time slots during daylight savings time. Installing lights on one or more ofthese fields would need to be
addressed in collaboration with the school district, the schools themselves, and the neighbors. Funding for field lights may be available through the Town's Proposition 12 and 40 programs;
however, there may be limitations due to the fact that the fields are not owned by the Town. It is our understanding that portable lights are used successfully at Saratoga High School
for Pop Warner football practice. Another short-term option the soccer groups are pursuing is the use ofcounty land in Vasona Park. In the past, the County has not been receptive to
the use of Vasona Park for organized sports; however, the soccer groups are planning to discuss this with county staff. Long-Term Options In the long term, the addition ofone or more
full-size soccer fields would enable the soccer groups to meet the demand for practice fields and full-size fields for the older youth. The Town does not currently have property under
their control that would be sufficient for the development offull-size soccer fields. A few properties ofland in private ownership of sufficient size do exist in the Town; however, the
Town is not currently aware of any private owner interest in selling the properties at this time'. A A method that could be explored to create an incentive for private owners with more
than one property
PAGE 4 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: ACCEPT REPORT ON THE SUPPLY AND DEMANDFOR SOCCER FIELDS IN LOS GATOS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION ON NEXT STEPS (December 13, 2004) to sell or donate
for sports field development is the transfer of development rights. Under this approach an existing property owner could "transfer" the development credits from one parcel of land to
another. This would require the Town to allow a more intense development on the parcel receiving the development credit in exchange for donating the other parcel to the Town for sports
fields. The impacts associated with allowing a transfer of development credits would have to be carefully evaluated including an analysis of both the proposed development project and
the development ofsports fields as well as the cumulative impacts of allowing the more intense project Funding for Soccer Field Development Private Funding One option for adding to the
supply of soccer fields is for LGUSL, T1 --- sfukell0TdEistormrsue thepllrchaseofland for
development ofthe fields. This is an approach being taken by the Almaden Youth Association, which will be funding and operating a new sports complex in the Almaden Valley (six fields
for soccer and baseball). Partnerships with organizations and/or private property owners could be explored for soccer field development in Los Gatos. Interested stakeholders could also
contribute to the purchase of field lights. Public Funding If the purchase ofland for and the subsequent development of soccer field(s) isa path the Town would want to pursue as a long-term
option, the question of funding would need to be addressed. Grant funding is available through the Town's Proposition 12 and 40 funds; however, undesignated funding from these sources
totals approximately $527,000 only which is not sufficient to purchase property of an adequate size for a soccer field. Common methods available to generate funds for parks include park
taxes, park fees, QuimbyActfees and targeted revenue generated through General Obligation bonds and parcel taxes,both of which would require a public vote. In 1965, Los Gatos voters
supported a general obligation bond issue for $750,000 for the acquisition and limited development of parks in Los Gatos. This action was based pm a study conducted by a park committee
on the need for neighborhood parks in Los Gatos. • ParkTax: In 1968 the Town adopted a Park Fund Tax (Town Code Section 14.30.045(3)) which established a tax offour cents.($0.04) for
each square foot ofnew building as well as additions or alterations which increase the floor area existing buildings. The revenue generated by the fee are deposited in the public works
fund and are programmed to the Parks function of the Parks and Public Works Department to maintain Town parks. The tax rate is set at a very low rate and, as a result, the tax generates
very limited revenue. For example, in FY 2003/04 only $13,930 was collected. In order to increase the tax, a public vote would be required since a tax increase is subject to Proposition
218. A supermajority or 66 2/3% support would be required for a proposed tax increase to be successful.
1i -I PAGES MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: ACCEPT REPORT ON THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND FOR SOCCER FIELDS IN LOS GATOS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION ON NEXT STEPS (December 13, 2004) • AB 1600 -Park
Fees: Fees imposed in connection with approval of a development project for the purpose of defraying all or a portion of the cost of public facilities related to the development project
are subject to AB 1600 (Government Code Section 66000 et. seq.). Fees must be committed within five years to those projects for which they were collected. The jurisdiction must keep
separate funds for each development fee and must demonstrate a neXl.,lS between the. development fee and the planned improvement. Based on the requirement to establish a nexus between
the amolmt ofthe fee and the proportionate impact of the development, only limited revenue would likely be generated on a project by project basis. For example, a recent Sunnyvale study
found that apartments generate only.08 school age children/unit. This means that in a 100 unit apartment proj ect, only 8 school age children would reside within the development. Given
the limited development that occurs in Los Gatos, only limited revenue would be generated from a park fee. Since the revenue from the
_ source would need to be established to
amass sufficient funds to acquire land for sports fields. If there is support to explore a park fee, a General Plan amendment should be undertaken to create a Recreation Element that
would establish clear goals and polices indicating how many acres of sports fields are needed and why existing park land can not be used for this purpose. The Recreation Element would
also need to describe how the Town will go about obtaining the land. Most likely this would require the Town Council to enter into condemnation proceedings to secure private property
for sports fields. Funding from developer fees could only be used to acquire property or for capital improvements and not for the ongoing cost of operations. Parkland Dedication Fee
(Quimby Fees): State law (Government Code Section 66477) authorizes cities to require dedication of parkland and/or payment of an in-lieu fees in conjunction with residential. subdivisions.
The intent of the law is to fulfill parkland requirements for residents of new subdivisions, not to address existing conditions or deficiencies. Quimby fees are not applicable to apartment
projects. ' State law establishes specific criteria for the calculation and use of parkland fees: • The fees or dedication shall not exceed an amount necessary to provide the subdivision
residents with parkland equivalent to three acres of parkland per 1,000 residents. If the neighborhood park area currently exceeds this ratio, the city may adopt a higher ratio not to
exceed five acres per 1,000 residents. The fees shall be used to 'develop new or rehabilitate existing park facilities in a location that will be reasonably related to the use of parklands
by residents in the subdivision. The city must adopt a general plan establishing policies and standards for park facilities. All fees collected must be committed within five years after
payment.
PAGE 6 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: ACCEPT REPORT ON THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND FOR SOCCER FIELDS IN LOS GATOS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION ON NEXT STEPS (December I3, 2004) The Town does not
currently impose a parkland dedication fee. Given the small number ofnew lots .created in Town, the amount ofmoney collected each year will be limited and the parkland created or improved
must reasonably benefit the subdivision that paid the fee. In addition, the Town's ratio of parkland per 1,000 residents is about six acres per 1,000 residents, including Vasona, which
is within Town boundaries. If trails and open space are included, the ratio is nearly nine acres per 1,000 residents. CONCLUSION: Although LGUSL and LGS Recreation are able to operate
within the cun-ent field supply, the supply is not sufficient to meet the practice needs for LGUSL. Short-term options for meeting LGUSL's ___
__ ---the 3 to 5pm time period
and through the installation oftempbrary or permanent lights on key fields used for soccer. Long-term options are challenging, given the limited availability ofland for soccer use and
the lack of funding for land purchase. Creating an incentive for a private owner to sell at a cost or donate land for this purpose may be a viable approach. Private fundraising
and partnerships are also potential approaches to field development. Public supportedrevenue generators such as parks taxes, bonds or parcel taxes are potential sources of funds for
land purchase and/or soccer field development. The Town's Proposition 12 and 40 funds may also be used in conjunction with these sources of funds. Staff is seeking Council comment and
direction on any next steps to take regarding the supply of soccer fields in Los Gatos. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: Is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required.
FISCAL IMPACT: Attachments: 1. Supply and Demand Analysis of Soccer Fields in Los Gatos Distribution: Soccer Report Contact List, Attachment 1, Exhibit A
SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS OF SOCCER FIELDS IN LOS GATOS INTRODUCTION The purpose ofthis report is to provide a summary of the supply and demand for soccer fields in the town of Los
Gatos. Part I of the report addresses the demand side of the equation and covers the users of soccer fields, the activities provided by the users and their needs for fields. Part II
follows with a discussion of the supply of fields, the impacts of inadequate supply, and discussion of two related issues, the reservation process and field maintenance. Part III is
the conclusion. Exhibit A lists the individuals interviewed for this report and includes representatives from the following: Soccer Groups 1. Los Gatos Saratoga Commtmity Education and
Recreation (LGS Recreation) 2. Los Gatos United Soccer League (LGUSL) Schools and School Districts 1.. Union School District (USD) 2. Los Gatos High School 3. Los Gatos Christian Church
and School 4. Los Gatos Union School District (LGUSD) Parks Departments 1. Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department 2. Town of Los Gatos Parks and Public Works Department (PPW)
Other Community Groups and Members 1. Addison Penzak, Jewish Community Center (APJCC) PART I: DEMAND FOR SOCCER FIELDS PRIMARY SOCCER GROUPS IN LOS GATOS There are two primary providers
of soccer activities for youth in the Town of Los Gatos, the Los Gatos United Soccer League (LGUSL) and the Los Gatos-Saratoga Community Education and Recreation (LGS Recreation). A
summary of the 2003-2004 soccer season showing· the types of soccer activities provided by LGUSL and LGS Recreation, numbers of participants and needs for soccer fields is shown in Exhibit
B. Below is a summary of the two soccer groups. Los Gatos United Soccer League (LGUSL) 501(c)(3) with all-volunteer board, President is Ed San Juan Became 501(c)(3) 1979-1980 • Affiliated
League in good standing with the CA Youth Soccer Association (CYSA) Provides recreational and competitive soccer activities for youth 6-17 years old • Approximately 1700 youth participate
annually annually (unduplicated) Uses soccer fields in Los Gatos Union School District and Union School District ATTACHMENT 1
SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS OF SOCCER FIELDS IN LOS GATOS Page 2 of 10 Los Gatos Saratoga Community Education and Recreation (LGS Recreation) Joint Powers Department with 3 school districts
Provides recreational soccer activities for youth 3 1/2 -12 years old Approximately 1400 youth participate annuallyl Uses soccer fields provided by Los Gatos Union School District, and
some through Los Gatos High School and Town Parks Los Gatos United Soccer League (LGUSL) LGUSL is the provider of the majority of soccer activity in Los Gatos and the major user of soccer
fields in Los Gatos. LGUSL is affiliated with the statewide California Youth Soccer Association (CYSA) as shown in Exhibit C. CYSAis a non-profit corporation supported through player
registration fees, league fees, sponsorships and donations, whose goal is to provide an opportunity for youth players of all skill levels to participate in soccer programs. CYSA further
breaks down into statewide districts, districts are sub-divided into leagues, and leagues consist of clubs and teams. LGUSL's primary responsibility as a CYSA league is to offer competition
to the teams registered with it according to CYSA guidelines. LGUSL offers both competitive and recreational soccer and LGUSL teams are divided into CYSA age groups, and play among themselves,
or against other league teams. Recreational players make up the majority with approximately 75% of participants on recreational teams. Recreational teams are largely coached by parents,
practice 1-2/x per week and play 10 games per fall season. Any team playing competitive soccer is referred to as a club team and the term club can refer to a group of teams or to one
team. Leagues are responsible for club management, behavior, field problems, discipline, and growth. If a league finds inappropriate behavior with a club team or coach, the league has
the ability to terminate its affiliation with the coach, and team. Clubs must register their teams with a league to participate in CYSA activities, and may choose which league with which
they register within their CYSA District boundaries. They may also register with more than one league. A club also can offer camps, lessons, fitness instruction, etc. LGUSL has a total
of28 competitive teams registered to play in the 2004 Fall Season. Competitive teams charge more to participate than recreational and many have professional coaches (Exhibit D shows
soccer fees and costs.) Competitive teams practice at least 2/x per week and most play year-r<;mnd. The LGUSL also offers two Summer Soccer camps arIDually. One is for advanced players
with approximately 150 players attending in Summer 2004. The other is for begilIDing through advanced players ages 5-16 and is offered in conjunction with the San Jose Earthquakes. Attendance
was approximately 50 participants this past summer. 1 LGS Recreation reports 1750 total sign-ups for soccer activities in 03-04 but estimates 1750 includes 20% duplicated participants.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS OF SOCCER FIELDS IN LOS GATOS Page 3 of 10 In summary, the two types of soccer activity provided by LGUSL are: Recreational Soccer 75% ofLGUSL youth participate
in recreational soccer • Approximately 1250 -1350 youth participated in 03-04 Teams start at U6 (under 6) and go all the way to U17 LGUSL averages 96 recreational teams every year Uniforms
provided from fees collected Play 10 games per fall season Largely coached by parents with training from LGUSL CYSA goals are for recreational teams that are competitive and geographically
diverse; i.e., with even distribution of players in terms of skill levels, and even distribution of players from the community's different schools Competitive Soccer 25% of LGUSL youth
participate in competitive soccer Approximately 400 youth participated in 03-04 Teams start at U9 (under 9) and go to U 17 with 2 teams offered per gender, per age LGUSL has a total
of 28 competitive teams registered to play 04-05 Purchase their own uniforms • Play an average of 35 to 70 games per fall season Long-term goals for youth on this track is a college
scholarship or to play professionany Los Gatos Saratoga Community Education And Recreation (LGS Recreation) LGS Recreation is the second largest provider of soccer activities in the
Town of Los Gatos and provides recreational soccer programs that start as young as age 3 %and go all the way to age 12. The goal of the LGS Recreation programs is to provide a non-competitive,
recreational environment for children that includes age-appropriate activities: skill demonstrations, fun games and instructional scrimmages. LGS Recreational offers Kidz Love Soccer
classes year round which provide a new definition of winning and focus on the four KLS principles: sportsmanship, effort, learning and fun. LGS Recreation also provides a winter soccer
league and summer camps. LGS Recreation has access to an adequate number of soccer fields to meet its current needs. LGUSL RECREATIONAL AND COMPETITIVE SOCCER ISSUES Growth of Teams
and Players in LGUSL In the LGUSL Competitive League, teams start at U9 (under 9) and go to U17 with 2 teams offered per gender, per age. The maximum number of competitive clubs/teams
that LGUSL can accommodate for the nine age levels of competitive play is 36; currently LGUSL has 28 teams. This is a self-imposed limit since 1995 because LGUSL cannot expand the competitive
league without impacting the recreational league due to the limited number of practice fields available. . .
SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS OF SOCCER FIELDS IN LOS GATOS Page40fl0 \ There are enough fields for games on weekends, but putting all the recreational teams on fields for practices remains
a problem. The chart below shows the number of anticipated 2004 players and teams, and LGUSL participant levels for the past 3 years. The number of recreational players and teams remains
relatively constant but the demand for competitive teams is growing. 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 # of Recreational 98 95 97 94 Teams Total Recreational Approx. Approx. Approx. Approx. Players
1400 1200-1300 1250-1350 1320 # of Competitive 21 21 23 28 Teams Total Competitive Approx. Approx. Approx. Approx. Players 340 340 400 450 Weekly Field Usage IChallenges to Finding Adequate
Practice Time On a weekly basis, the usage of soccer fields is as follows: Mon. -Fri.: Saturday: Sunday: Two Practice Times: 3-5 pm, and 5-7 pm Games all day Overflow games only; requires
school district approval; discouraged due to neighbor complaints The recreational league organized by LGUSL recruits parents as coaches and has approximately 300 adults and 30 students
(middle and high school age) in its volunteer base. Since most parents work, 90% of requests from coaching parents are for practice fields in the 5-7 pm time slot. The high demand at
time cannot'be met with the available fields supply. This situation is compounded after daylight savings ends in October as it gets dark around 5:30 pm, further minimizing available
practice times. The LGUSL shifts to non-daylight saving schedules (1.5 hour practices 3-4:30pm, 4:30 to 6:00pm), and some coaches bring lanterns onto the field till the end of the regular
recreation season (mid-November), and for the competitive players in the beginning of December. The result is that 40% ofthe 97 recreational teams in the 03-04 season were only able
to practice Ix per week, as opposed to twice per week which is desired at the recreational level. Teams that find themselves with no practice field sometimes use public parks (e.g.,
Vasona and Oak Meadow, Blossom Hill Park) and church or school lawns for practice, without insurance or permits. The CYSA will not recognize an accident claim from a field for which
there are no permits. This can also be taken as a form of "trespassing," for which the coach is responsible. They also encroach on fields in use, at times resulting in altercations.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS OF SOCCER FIELDS IN LOS GATOS Page 5 of 10 100% of LGUSL competitive teams maintain a twice per week practice schedule, however, that level is less than many
other competitive teams in other leagues. LGUSL estimates that 50% of other competitive league teams in CYSA District 2 practice 3-4 days per week. CYSA Guidelines Regarding Field Size
The CYSA offers flexible guidelines for field sizes as it would be extremely difficult for teams across the state to meet rigid field size requirements. A field of 60 x 110 yards is
considered a full-sized field, although CYSA recommends a field size of 90x130 for youth under 11-17. LGUSL tries to find practice and game fields that are as large as possible. The
larger the field, the more the players can get a sense of how the field will be on game day. The size of fields recommended by CYSA for soccer teams varies with age as shown below. All
of the 10 fields available to LGUSL in 04-05 are subdivided for weekly practices. Exhibit E shows how the 10 fields are used for practice, and what age groups can use these fields for
games. By ,dividing the fields in halves or thirds, LGUSL will have 24-26 spots for practice, with teams crowded together, in areas smaller than ideal. Other constraints that come into
play are trying to keep older players together and away from younger ones to avoid injuries from misfired balls, and to prevent the younger youth from hearing foul language. A half field
with goals is required by the older competitive teams, i.e., under 11 and older, while younger competitive teams can get by with a field with no goals. LGUSL is the only league in CYSA
District 2 that has competitive teams practice on fields with no goals, dlle
to field availability constraints. LGUSL coaches have been known to purchase and bring portable goals for their teams. The smallest size field that would help to address the need for
practice fields in Los Gatos is 40 x 40. The youngest teams, U6-8 could hold their practices on a small field of 40 x 40, but but not all aspects of the game can be practiced. Recreational
Competitive League CYSAAge Max. # teams per Field size Max. # teams Field size groups Team gender recommended Team per gender recommended Size (in yards) Size (in yards) Under 6 12 4G;
8B 20 x30 NA NA NA Under 7-8 13 13 G, 19 B 40 x 70 NA NA NA Under 9-10 13 9 G, 17 B 50 x 80 13 4G, 3 B 50 x 80 Under 11-17 18 13 G, 13 B 60 x 110 min. 18 13 G, 8 B 60 x 110 min.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS OF SOCCER FIELDS IN LOS GATOS Page 6 of 10 PART II: SUPPLY OF SOCCER FIELDS Exhibit Fshows the complete list of available sites for soccer practice and games,
discussed in more detail below. The following chart shows the number of suitable soccer fields to be utilized by LGS Recreation and LGUSL in 04-05. Union School District, (USD)1 Los
Gatos Union School District, (LGUSD)2 Town Parks Los Gatos High School TOTALS: FIELD LOCATIONS School Districts LGS Recreation o5218 LGUSL 64oo 10 The two main providers of soccer fields
for LGUSL are Union School District (USD) and Los Gatos Union School District (LGUSD). USD offers 15 school sites total, but according to the LGUSL president, only 7 sites are adequate
for soccer. Ofthe 8 sites that are not suitable for soccer, one is utilized largely for Little League Baseball, three have physical constraints making the fields unsuitable, and four
are outside ofthe LGUSL bOlmdaries. LGUSL is approved to use 6 USD fields in 04-05. One additional USD field may also be used (Lone Hill) depending upon application receipt and approval.
The Los Gatos Union School District (LGUSD) has 5 school sites total, and LGS Recreation utilizes these 5 sites to meet its needs. LGUSL utilizes 4 fields from the LGUSD, in addition
to the 6 mentioned above. Town and County Parks At present, Blossom Hill and Live Oak Manor Parks are utilized by LGS Recreation for very small group activity or special soccer classes
with children ages 3 'li -5. Otherwise, the parks are not available for use for organized soccer activity. According to PPW, Belgatos Park is too small for organized soccer and that
if daily organized soccer were allowed in a more spacious park such as Oak Meadow, the turf utilized would have to be roped off for 2-3 months a year to allow it to recover from such
usage. Use ofTown parks for organized sports is a Council policy decision. Prior Council policy has been to not use Oak Meadow for organized sports. Vasona County Park staff states that
the open green lawn area is not maintained to allow for organized soccer activity. The fields have gophers and squirrel holes which are ·unsafe for 1 USD is comprised of 8 elementary
and 2 middle schools located in both Los Gatos and the City of San Jose. 2 LGUSD is comprised of one middle school and 4 elementary schools located in the Town of Los Gatos.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS OF SOCCER fIELDS IN LOS GATOS Page 7 of 10 organized sports. Additionally, Vasona Park has a large population of wild geese and, to a somewhat lesser degree,
ducks and coots. The amount of fecal matter left by the water fowl feeding activities on the lawn areas has also discouraged use in the past for sports activities. The open areas are
maintained forleisure activities such as Frisbee-throwing, kite-flying, and pickup games offootball, etc. By practice, county parks in general do not allow organized sports; rather they
have a policy for providing parkland for passive activities and open space. Any organized sporting use of the county park would require a permit, and these have been denied repeatedly
to LGUSL. The 1993 Playfield Advisory Committee Report specifically states that the Vasona Park Director· made 10 fields available in the park for weekday practice. It is unclear when
such usage stopped. LGS Recreation staff does not recall using Vasona for their soccer activities. Current members ofLGUSL board do not recall using Vasona Park for soccer activities,
nor does Vasona Park staff recall making the lawn area available for soccer practice. Los Gatos High School LGS Recreation utilizes the fields at the high school for camps in the summer
for youth ages 512. Soccer Club of Los Gatos utilized the soccer field at the high school on Fridays from 4:306:30 in April-June '04 but it caused conflicts with the concurrent softball
practice at an adjacent field, and the club is no longer using the field. According to the high school vice-principal, the high school fields are not available because they are so heavily
used that they need a break to recover to be in any kind shape for the high school students. In addition, the fields would not be available until after 5:30 pm, and
after daylight savings occurs at the end of October, it's too dark to play soccer as the fields are not lighted. Lighting the fields is not advised due to objections from the neighbors.
Addison Penzak, Jewish Community Center (APJCC) This center is currently under construction and will be adding a fitness center to their facilities. APJCC anticipates having one soccer
field available to the community for a fee. Anticipated construction completion and field availability is July '05. Previously, APJCC had 1-2 soccer fields available for a fee. Staff
at the Jewish Community Center advises that potential playing field users send a letter to the Executive Director stating their needs and interest levels in future playing fields at
the JCC. Los Gatos Christian Church and School According to the 1993 Playfield Advisory Committee Report, Los Gatos Christian Church made playfields available to outside groups. Since
that time, demand from church and school leagues for playfields has increased resulting in the need for the church to rent additional soccer fields from the City of San Jose. Consequently
the soccer field is no longer available to outside groups. The church has one soccer field and plans to develop another one on its property.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS OF SOCCER FIELDS IN LOS GATOS Page 8 of 10 Soccer Playfields Identified in 1993 Playfield Advisory Committee Report In early 1993, the Town Manager formed
a Playfield Advisory Committee to address the need for more playfields for all sports. The Committee identified sites that increased the number of available playfields from 9 to 20.
Union School District, Town and County Parks and a church were the sources of the additional sites. The study specifically mentioned the following sites as available for soccer: six
schools in Union School District, Vasona County Park (10 fields), Oak Manor and Belgatos Town Parks, the Los Gatos Christian Church, and the agricultural field next to the Los Gatos
High School. Ofthe six USD schools, four are utilized for soccer while the other two fields are not suitable. None of the parks are utilized for reasons stated above. The Christian Church
and the High School are not available to outside groups due to heavy usage by their primary users. A summary of these sites is provided below. Those currently utilized for soccer are
in bold. Nine Sites Already In Use In 1993 And Current Status RE Usage 1. Balzar field -Baseball 2. Blossom Hill Park --.:. Primarily Baseball 3. Blossom Hill School-Soccer (Not available
May 2005 -2008) 4. Daves Avenue School-Soccer (Not available May 2005 -2008) 5. Fisher Middle School-Soccer 6. Jewish Community Center -July 2005 7. Los Gatos High SchooI-Not Available
8. Van Meter School-Soccer 9. West Valley College -Outside Boundaries Eleven New Sites Identified In 1993 And Current Status RE Usage 1. Alta Vista Elementary -Girls Softball 2. Carlton
Elementary -Soccer 3. Howes/Stratford Primary School -Soccer 4. Mirassou SchooI-Unusable/Angled Field 5. Ralph E. Noddin School -Soccer 6. Union Junior High School -Soccer 7. Los Gatos
High Scrimmage Field -Not Available 8. Belgatos Park -Not Available 9. Oak Meadow Park -Not Available 10. Vasona Park -Not Available 11. Los Gatos Christian Church -Not Available IMPACTSOF
INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF SOCCER FIELDS Limited Practice Schedule LGUSL's competitive soccer teams of approximately 450 participants and 28 teams have two practices per week whereas many
other competitive leagues offer 3x/week practice. Forty percent ofthe LGUSL recreational soccer teams, comprised of 1320 participants and 94 teams, practice only once per week. Ideally
all recreational teams should be able to practice 2x/week. Additionally, LGUSL is the only league that has competitive teams practice on fields with no goals, due to field availability
constraints. Unable To Meet Demand For Teams As awareness of soccer grows, demand for LGUSL programs is steadily growing. The demand for competitive teams is going up but the competitive
league is limited to two teams per age, per
SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS OF SOCCER FIELDS IN LOS GATOS Page 9 of 10 gender, for reasons discussed previously. Although the competitive league of LGUSL is not yet at full capacity(l),
when two teams in a particular age group and gender are full, additional players must be turned away. In addition, many competitive clubs or teams desire to practice more often than
the twice per week schedule that LGUSL can offer. Five teams "left" the league in the past few years knowing that they could play year-round elsewhere; LGUSL does not offer competitive
play during winter. There is an estimated 150-200 youth from Los Gatos playing in other leagues such as DeAnza, Central Valley and Almaden Leagues. In addition, competitive clubs desire
the best quality fields available. Los Gatos fields are known to be of poor quality and other leagues don't enjoy playing on them. RESERVING FIELDS Reserving fields among Los Gatos organized
sports teams does not appear to be a problem. The Los Gatos Union District has a process that that has been in place for many years and the major users know one another and work out
their schedules collectively. The Union School District implemented a new process this past year and LGUSL reports no problems with it. Union School District (USD) USD called all sports
groups to a meeting and worked out a schedule collectively. This is the first year that the Union District is charging fees: $15/playerlseason, plus $1 OO/field utilized/month. The fees
served to manage demand. LGUSL felt the process was reasonable. -' Los Gatos Union School District (LGUSD) Process through LGS Recreation Each year LGS Recreation sets their class and
sport schedule, blocks out their needs on the Field Availability Schedule and thus determines when elementary school fields are available to· outside groups, i.e., LGUSL, Little League
and Pony League Baseball, and Los Gatos-Saratoga Girls Fast Pitch Softball. LGS Recreation then sends this Field Availability Schedule of Elementary & Middle School Fields, to LGUSD.
The outside groups also review the Field Availability Schedule, and the three groups work together to set up practice and play schedule, generally 6 days/week, for all three sports.
LGUSL then sends a final copy of the schedule to the LGUSD and to the LGS Recreation. When needed, LGS Recreation will facilitate discussion among the outside groups to finalize the
playfield schedule. FIELD MAINTENANCE All individuals interviewed for this report agree that maintenance of school soccer fields is inadequate. Hampered by limited funds, school districts
camlot keep the fields at desired levels.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND ANALYSIS OF SOCCER FIELDS IN LOS GATOS Page 10 of 10 Los Gatos Union School District LGUSD provides the maintenance for its five sites but it is not a high priority.
Currently there is a team of two staff that maintains the fields at all five sites. LGUSL pays fees to the District for use of these fields, part of which is for maintenance. In addition,
LGUSL also pays for and implements turf repair around goals when needed. Union School District USD maintains their 15 fields and while the District recognizes the importance of soccer
leagues, especially toward youth scholarships, it can't do more at this time to improve the quality of field maintenance. The new fees that are being charged for 04-05 field usage will
beused to offset existing maintenance costs; the users will have the same field quality despite new fees. PART III: CONCLUSION Based on the supply/demand analysis, it appears that LGS
Recreation has access to an adequate number of soccer fields to meet its current needs. LGUSL has has access to an adequate number of fields to meet its needs for games; however, sufficient
fields are not available to meet the practice frequency needs ofLGUSL players or to allow the 11-17 age group to practice on adequate-sized fields. The peak time of need for more practice
fields is between 5 pm and 7 pm on weekdays. During daylight savings time, there is a greater demand for fields between 3 pm and 5pm and/or for lighted fields available between 5 pm
and 7 pm. While LGUSL is able to operate within the limitations of the current soccer field supply, the constraints are compounded when schools undertake construction or fields are taken
out of play for other reasons. The most recent construction plans at Blossom Hill and Daves Ave. schools demonstrate this situation. LGUSL has been able to secure substitute fields for
the most part in this case, but additional losses of fields during this period would limit opportunities for soccer practice further. On an ongoing basis, LGUSL must respond to changes
in field availability in order to accommodate the basic practice needs of the players. According to LGUSL, in an ideal world, an additional 5 full-sized fields available Monday through
Friday, from 3 pm to 7 pm, would ensure that 100% of the recreational teams were practicing two times per week, that teams were not as crowded together, that all of the competitive teams
could practice on fields with goals, and that the youth in the 11 to 17 age group could practice on full-sized fields. Given the current limited field condition in which LGUSL is operating,
the addition of any fields would be an improvement. An additional one or two full-sized fields would enable the 11 to 17 age group to practice on adequate-sized fields and would increase
the number of practices possible during the week. The availability of lighted fields would also increase the number of practice games possible after daylight savings time ends.
Soccer Report Contact List Harley Crock, Recreation Supervisor Ed San Juan, President Los Gatos Saratoga Community Education and Los Gatos United Soccer League (LGUSL) Recreation (LGS
Recreation) 17860 Bruce Avenue 123 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 Los Gatos, CA 95030 Ph: 408.354.7006 Ph: 408.354.8700, ex. 229 ed.sanjuan@lmco.com Fax: 408.395.3828 www.lgusl.org
Kathy Haugen, Secretary to Director Doug Ramezane, Vice-Principal of Facilities, Planning and Construction Los Gatos High School Los Gatos Union School District (LGUSD) 20 High School
Court 15766 Poppy Lane Los Gatos, CA 95032 Los Gatos, CA 95030 Ph: 408.354.2730, ex. 213# Ph: 408.335.2013 Fax: 408.354.3742 Fax: 408.395.6481 , Ms. Nan Wojcik, Chief Financial Officer
John F. Goldsworthy, Park Use Coordinator Union School District (USD) Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Dept. 5175 Union Ave. 298 Garden Hill Drive San Jose, CA 95124 Los Gatos,
CA 95032-7669 Ph: 408.377.8010, ex. 202 Ph: 408-355-2220, E-mail: www.lUlionsd.org iohn.goldsworthy@,goldsworthy@,prk.sccgov.org Leroy Eikanas Ms. Becky Kellogg Director of Sports Ministry
Executive Assistant to the Director Los Gatos Christian Church and School Addison Penzak Jewish Community Center 16845 Hicks Road 14855 Oka Road Los Gatos, CA 95032 Los Gatos, 95032
Ph.: 408.268.1411 Ph: 408.358.3636 lerove@lgcs.org Becky0lsanioseicc.org John Curtis, Director Patrick McEntee, Board Candidate Town of Los Gatos Parks. and Public Works Dept. Loma Prieta
Joint Union School District 41 Miles Avenue 17220 Melody Lane Los Gatos, CA 95030 Los Gatos, CA 95033 Ph: 408.399.5774 jcUliis@losgatosca.gov EXHIBIT A
-1 Annual Soccer Schedule By Season with 2003-2004 Participant Numbers FALL WINTER SPRING SUMMER Mid-September to Mid-January to April to Late June to Dates: Mid-December End of March
mid-June Late August Kidz Love Soccer Kidz Love Soccer Kidz Love Soccer Kidz Love Soccer LGS Ages 312 -12 (500) Ages312 -12 (200) Ages 312-12 (350) Ages312-12 (200) Recreation Winter
Warriors Summer Camps Ages 5-12 (150) Ages 5-12 (350) Total Players 500 350 350. 550 CLASSES Fields Need: Need: Need: Need: 2 £Ids. 3days/wk Needed 3 £Ids. 3days/wk 3 £Ids. 3days/wk
3 £Ids. 3days/wk Have: Same Have: Same Have: Same Have: Same CAMPS Need: 4 £Ids. 5 da/wk Have: 3 £Ids1..5 da/wk -FALL WINTER SPRING SUMMER Aug. 1 -Dec. 1 Dec. 1 -Mar. 31 Apr. 1-June
1 July I_31 st Major Season 25% of participants are Only make-ups for Approx. 400 youth Approx. 400 youth Los on LGUSL Compo teams postponed games; Ages: 9-17 Ages: 9-17. Gatos Ages
9-17 (400) Most held indoors at United "Offthe Wall Just Competitive teams; Just Competitive teams; Soccer 75% of participants are Soccer" in Santa no Rec. teams no Rec. teams League
on LGUSL Rec. teams Clara; Ages 6-17 (1200-1300) (LGUSL) Need practice fields for Under 14 and below -15-20 teams Total Players Approx. 1700 200-300 Approx.400 Approx.400 Fields Need:
15 Need: 3-5 Need: 6 Need: 4-5 Needed Have: 9 (Oster only Have: 2 Have: 2 Have: 1 available in Spring) 1 Optimally, LGS Recreation needs 4 fields. Have been using 3 to make 4 smaller
fields and they consider their needs met. EXHIBITB
Los Gatos United Soccer League and CYSA Structure California Youth Soccer Association (CYSA) North Nine Other Districts .................................... .....................................
18 other Leagues .....................................: District 2 Los Gatos United Soccer League CYSA 1 Districts 1 Leagues 1 Teams CYSA is a non-profit corporation supported through
player registration fees, league fees, sponsorships and donations. Goal: provide an opportunity for youth players of all skill levels to participate in soccer programs. Geographic designations
established by CYSA. A league is a structured organization within a CYSA District whose purpose is to offer competition to the teams registered with it. Teams shall be divided into CYSA
age groups, and play amongst themselves according to an established schedule, spread through a season of play. Select Competitive Recreational Special (Class 1 -(Class 3-(Class 4 -(Class
5 -Competitive) Semi-Competitive) Recreational) TOPSoccer) Top level teams Intermediate level teams Teams formed within a Community based formed by selection formed by tryout selection
home league on an equal in soccer designed to process; compete process; compete only in strength basis. Tryouts meet the needs of only in Division 1 or Division 3 level play. forbidden.
Competes only children 4-19 years State level play. in Division 4 level play. of age with physical or mental disabilities. The Two Competitive Divisions are The Rec. Division No demand
for Comprised of Club Teams is Comprised of TOPSoccer; To date LGUSL plays every A club is a structured organization whose purpose it is to "In.,.House Teams" player who has come sponsor
1 or more teams to play soccer in a CYSA forward, in the Rec. affiliated league or leagues. LGUSL averages 95 in-league, including house or recreational those with physical LGUSL has
28 Club Teams: Examples: Soccer Club of teams/season limitations. Los Gatos, Los Gatos United, Los Gatos Cats, AC Los Gatos, Los Gatos Pride EXIDBITC
Fees for Soccer Activities & Field Maintenance in Los Gatos LGS Recreation Player Fees Kidz Love Soccer: $74-84 for 8 weeks; Winter Warriors: $92 for 8 meetings Summer Camps: $88-$192
based on age/length of camp Players Receive: Uniforms, tee-shirts, balls depending upon which activity LGS Rec. Field Maintenance Costs are included in annual LGUSD facility use fee.
Los Gatos United Soccer League Player Fees Recreational Soccer Fees -$135/player/fall season Competitive Soccer Fees -$l60/player/fall season Players Receive: Uniforms, Insurance, Pictures,
Trained Coaches and Referees (3/game), facility rentals for mtgs. & registration, Tournament fees, etc. League Costs: (These costs factored into player fees above.) To Union School District
for field use: $15/player/season, plus $1 OO/field utilized/month To Los Gatos Union School District for field use/maintenance: Set monies aside specifically for maintenance, approximately
$1 Ok-$17k. Avg. annual cost approx. $34k per large field; have 5 large in 04-05. Cover minimal work to other fields (pot holes.) Cost Sharing: LGUSL paid $9K & $5K for a topsoiler and
an aerator in a cost sharing arrangement with LGUSD and other sports organizations /EXHIBITD
Sizes ofLGUSL's Game and Practice Fields Available in 04-05 Union School District Field Accommodates Subdivides Status of Usage Sites Size games for into practice what ages? fields 1)
Carlton Elementary IOOx45 VIO 40x35 60x40 Only fall soccer season 2) Lone Hill 80x80 VIO 80x40 80x40 Elementary 3) Noddin Elementary IOOx40 VI2 60x501 50x40 Fall '04 will be first usage
due to repairs now complete 4) Oster Elementary IOOxlOO Full sized 50x50 50x50 Available in Spring All Ages Only 5) Union Middle IOOx60 All Ages 2@2@Fall '04 will be first School & 50x30
40x40 usage in 3-4 years 70x40 ll)DeVoss llOx50 All Ages 60x50 60x50 Fall 04 Available 12) Howes/Stratford llOx50 All Ages 60x50 60x50 Used for past3 years Los Gatos Union School Field
Accommodates Subdivided Status of Usage District Sites Size games for into practice what ages? fields 1) Fisher Middle School IIOx60 All Ages 60x55 60x55 LGUSL heavy use 2) Van Meter
60x40 V6 40x30 40x30 In use Fall 04 Elementary 3) Daves Avenue IOOx40 VIO 50x40 50x40 Not available May 2005 Elementary to 2008 4) Blossom Hill School 80x50 VIO 50x40 50x40 Not available
May 2005 to 2008 1 The Field Size indicates the optimal space that "painted off' to make a game field at each location. When creating two smaller practice fields, however, from the game
field, additional footage may be incorporated to make the fields as large as possible, even thought it is not desirable to be included in the painted off section for the game field.
( EXHIBITE
F I Los Gatos United Soccer League Field Usage From 2001-2005 Union School District Sites LGUSL LGUSL LGUSL LGUSL Status of Usage 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 1) Alta
Vista Elementary --------Field is slanted; mostly used by girls softball 2) Athenour Elementary! --------Outside BoundariesL 3) Carlton Elementary Yes Yes Yes Yes Only fall soccer season
4) Dartmouth Middle School --------Outside Boundaries 5) Guadalupe Elementary --------Outside Boundaries 6) Lietz Elementary ---------Outside Boundaries 7) Lone Hill Elementary Yes Yes
Yes Yes 8) Noddin Elementary Yes Yes NAduring Yes Fall '04 will be first construction usage due to repairs now complete 9) Oster Elementary Yes Yes Yes Yes Available in Spring Only in
04-05 10) Union Middle School Closed for Closed for Closed for Yes Fall '04 will be first construction construction construction usage in 3-4 years due to repairs 11) De Voss Yes Yes
--Yes Fall '04 Available 12) Cinnabar ----Yes --Home field for Little League; Doesn't work well for soccer 13) Howes/Stratford Yes Yes Yes Yes Used for past 3 years 14) Mirrasou/Los
Gatos Yes Yes Yes --Angled field, not Academy usable 15)Ross Yes Yes Yes --Bowl-shaped, not -usable 'Sites 2, 7, 11-15 are Union Elementary School District Leased Sites; i.e., leased
to private schools, preschools, etc. 2 It is a violation of League regulations to use fields outside of CYSA District 2 boundaries. Teams would be encroaching on another League's practice
area.
Los Gatos United Soccer League Field Usage From 2001-2005 Los Gatos Union School LGUSL LGUSL LGUSL LGUSL Status of Usage District Sites 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 1) Fisher Middle School
Yes Yes Yes Yes LGUSL heavy use 2) Van Meter Elementary Yes ----Yes In use 3) Daves Avenue Elementary Yes Yes Yes Yes Not available May 2005 -2008 4) Blossom Hill Schoo( Yes Yes Yes
Yes Not available May 2005 to 2008 5) Lexington School --------Only by team request (Mt. Teams) Park Sites LGUSL LGUSL LGUSL LGUSL Status of Usage 01-02 02-03-03-04 04-05 1) Live Oak
Manor --------LGS Recreation only; small classes ages 3Yz-5 2) Belgatos --------Too small for organized soccer 3) Oak Meadow --------Soccer incorripatible with park use 4) VasonaPark
--------Soccer incompatible with park use 5) Blossom Hill --------LGS Recreation only; soccer classes ages 3Yz-5 Other Sites LGUSL LGUSL LGUSL LGUSL Status of Usage 01-02 02-03 03-04
04-05 Los Gatos High School --------LGS Recreation only; summer soccer camps Jewish community Center Yes Yes Yes Closed for Under construction; construction available Summer '05 Los
Gatos Christian Church --------Not available to outside and School groups Total Sites Available 13 12 11 10 to LGUSL 'Construction will begin in Spring, 2005 and continue for one year
making this field unavailable through Spring 2006. FXHIBITF