16 Desk Item - Sale of 13-Acre Parcel in Vasona ParkSj N.~F
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COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 6/4/2007
ITEM NO: 16
DESK ITEM
DATE: JUNE 4, 2007
TO: MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
_00L~~
FROM: DEBRA J. FIGONE, TOWN MANAGER ~
SUBJECT: DIRECTION REGARDING THE SALE OF I3-ACRE TOWN-OWNED PARCEL IN
VASONA PARK TO COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA FOR CONTINUED USE AS
PARKLAND
A. AUTHORIZE THE TOWN ATTORNEY TO DEVELOP AN AGREEMENT FOR
COUN'CIL'S APPROVAL FOR THE SALE OF A 13-ACRE TOWN-OWNED
PARCEL IN VASONA PARK TO THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA FOR $6
MILLION AND THE TRANSFER OF A.66 ACRE COUNTY-OWNED PARCEL
ADJACENT TO OAK MEADOW PARK, WITH BOTH PROPERTIES
REMAINING IN PARK USE IN PERPETUITY AND WITH A GUARANTEE
THAT THE COUNTY WILL ALLOW BILLY JONES RAILROAD TO
CONTINUE TO OPERATE ON COUNTY PROPERTY
--OR
B. PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE DIRECTION TO TOWN STAFF REGARDING THE
TOWN-OWNED PROPERTY
Attached are several e-mails that were received after preparation of final report on this matter.
Attachments:
1. 6/6/07 e-mail from Frank and Terri Bergandi
2. 6/2/07 e-mail from Phil Knopf
3. 6/4/07 e-mail from Joe Carroll
PREPARED BY: PAMELA S. JACOBS
Assistant Town Manager
PSJ:pg
N:AMGR\AdminWorkFi1es\2007 Council Reports\6-4-07 Vasona Desk Item.doc
Reviewed by: Assistant Town Manager "Town Attorney
Clerk Administrator Finance Community Development
-----Original Message-----
From: Frank & Terri Bergandi [mailto:fbergandi@comcast.net]
Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 10:36 AM
To: 'Mike Wasserman'; 'Diane McNutt'
Subject: Oak Meadow land
Mike and Diane, I will not be able to attend Monday's meeting since we have a game that
evening. I anticipate that the Baseball and Soccer Leagues will be well represented but I wanted
just to voice my personal position relative to this issue. What is at the heart of the matter is how
woefully inadequate Los Gatos is in providing field space for its youth sports. I have the
opportunity to travel around to a number of cities and towns in our area to play baseball and
frankly the Los Gatos facilities do not stack up well in comparison. We have a quality and quantity
issue. I also recognize that youth sports is not the only issue you two have in front of you, but I
also know that it is an important issue on your agendas.
I personally do not view the 13 acres in Oak Meadow as a viable venue for a sports core. I do see
it as currency that can be used to acquire suitable land. Whether this currency monetizes through
a sale, or through a swap, there must be intentionally toward youth sports fields to this
transaction. We have a number of real estate professionals in youth sports in Los Gatos. It might
be very beneficial to form a group and to involve them in the process. The concerns most share is
that the cash proceeds from this transaction would not be enough to buy a suitable field in the
future or that a cash transaction could be diverted into another use.
Frank
Page 1 of 2
Patsy Garcia - Fwd: Vasona property sale
From:
<MWasserman@aol.com>
To:
<dfigone@losgatosca.gov>,
Date:
6/2/2007 10:44 AM
Subject:
Fwd: Vasona property sale
Attachments:
Vasona property sale
<PGARCIA@losgatosca.gov>
Hi Mike,
I was hoping to be home for the Monday Council meeting to speak. It now appears that we will not be
leaving Phoenix until Monday, so I will miss the meeting.
Please share this with other Council members and if you want to read it at the meeting please do so.
Although I am currently a board member of the Los Gatos Little League, and have been for the past 26
years, I am sending this as a life long resident of Los Gatos/Monte Sereno and parent of 2 that
participated in youth sports(son now 37 and daughter 30); Little League, Pony and Colt baseball, girls
softball, girls and boys soccer and Pop Warner football. Since I was involved with my children, the
soccer program has grown greatly as has Little League and now another sport that is getting very
popular is lacrosse. When my children were involved there was a shortage of practice fields, we were
doing soccer practice at Howes school, Union school district, and some little league practices were at
Carlton school.
When I heard of the 13+ acre parcel of land the Town owns in the center of Vasona park I was hopeful
that it would be able to be used for some practice fields. Currently LGLL only has 2 fields available for
practice, they are the 2 at Van Meter. All the rest of the fields we use are game fields, Baggerly,
Blossom Hill, JCC and Balzer. Before the season starts these fields are available for practice, it is
difficult to get a practice in before a game once the season starts. Play on Sunday is contrary to Little
League National policy, but in order to get all of our games in, it is necessary for us to play games on
Sunday.
So you can see the great need for practice fields as far as baseball is concerned.
Athletes can not develop their skills without an area to practice.
After walking the subject area this is not the area that would be desirable for practice fields. The ideal
scenario would be to swap this land for an area that would be more desirable for practices. If a land
swap can not be accomplished, then a sale of the land would make sense only if the proceeds from the
sale will be put in an special account for the purpose of acquiring property for practice fields. This
account should be interest bearing with the interest accruing to help the account appreciate in value
My other area of concern is: according to the general plan this area was designated for open space and
recreation. I think recreation needs to be defined. I have always felt that recreation was activity but the
county's interpretation is passive. I wonder, when the general plan was drafted, what was the intent of
recreation? Active or passive?
Perhaps in the terms of the sale some active recreation could be allowed for the youth sports programs
during the week when there is very little use of Vasona Park.
Thank you for your time and concern in this community issue.
Phil Knopf
file://C:ADocuments and Settings\pgarcia.LOSGATOSCA\Local Settings\Temp\XPgrpwise\... 6/4/2007
Page 2 of 2
17400 E. Vineland Ave
Monte Sereno
354-1046
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(6/4/2007) Patsy Garcia - June 4 Council Meeting Page 1
From: "Joe Carroll" <joe@quintex.com>
To: <manager@losgatosca.gov>
Date: 6/4/2007 11:53 AM
Subject: June 4 Council Meeting
Attachments: June 4 meeting.doc
Please copy all Council members on this and make it available for the
public. I believe I was told to make this a "Desk Item".
Also, please confirm your receipt by call me at cell: 408-314-7262.
Thank you.
Joe Carroll
Cash or Land?
From Joe Carroll
What is the Town's main objective in dealing with the 13.5 acres in Vasona? Do we
need cash or do we need land? The County wants our land, so we need to provide
them options that allow for this transfer of ownership, but also address the Town's
long-term needs. To date, I don't believe this process has been managed effectively.
I propose four options be presented to the County, and let THEM come back to US
with a workable solution.
A. Call the County and thank them for their S6M offer. Like any prudent
Seller would do, we will accept their offer orally (not in writing!) and go
out in good faith, and find out exactly what we can purchase with their
S6M. The minute we have a satisfactory property tied up, we will call
them back and get the deal done.
B. Reassure the County that we would like to see them own this 13.5 acres,
and that we are willing to trade our 13.5 acres for the roughly 9 acres that
sit at the back left (underutilized) corner of Vasona. This trade of land
will keep Vasona at 90% its current size, and 100% its current "passive
use" feel. The Town's entrance and exit to our "new" 9 acres only be
from University Avenue. With this deal, the County has added 4.5 acres
to their Park's System, and we have created an ideal sports facility for the
Town of LG. NOTE: If either the County of Town wishes to "try out"
this new arrangement first, we will agree to a 10 year lease to each party
on these lands, with the mutual option to sell in year 7. Or we can
transfer title right now.
C. The Town will go out and locate four (4) privately owned parcels in Los
Gatos, each of which the Town is willing to trade for our 13.5 acres. (Oka
Road, Lark Ave etc.). We will submit these sites to the County. The
County may now negotiate to trade any property in their thousands of
acres of surplus land, with that property owner, for the Los Gatos
property. In essence, we have now "partnered up" with the County, and
we have the County's assets now working for our Town, in locating a
suitable site. Also, the County's ability to grant land entitlement rights
will be key to this transaction.
D. The Town will design two (2) multi use sporting fields, a beautiful town
garden, a skate park and any other logical uses that will support the
needs/desires of our town folk.
Any of the above work for Los Gatos, and we are willing to be more than
reasonable. We need the County to get to work on this if they wish to own and
control 100% of all activities that occurs in Vasona Park.