NFL Added To Lawsuit Over Use Of Soccer Fields For Super Bowl Media Village
SANTA CLARA (CBS SF) -- The National Football League has been added to a lawsuit filed over the use youth soccer fields adjoining Levi's Stadium, the site of Super Bowl 50 next month.
An emergency hearing has been set for Tuesday for the suit by the Santa Clara Youth Soccer League (SCYSL) filed against the city of Santa Clara last week, claiming the city is violating a conditional use permit for the Santa Clara Youth Soccer Park, which is being leased to the NFL for use as a media village for the thousands of journalists at the Super Bowl.
The NFL was added as a party to the lawsuit after it took possession of the soccer fields Monday. The SCYSL's request for a temporary restraining order last week was not granted, but the judge ordered the city and the NFL not to make changes to the fields until the issue was settled.
On Monday however, workers were seen digging a number of holes into one of the three fields. "We were looking for the court system to back us up," said SCYSL spokesman Burt Field. "The judge told the city and the NFL not do any major construction before Wednesday's hearing. And we foolishly thought that would be enough."
As a result of Monday's work at the fields, the emergency hearing was scheduled for Tuesday.
The SCYSL says the fields will be destroyed by the media village installation, although the NFL has promised to repair the fields after the Super Bowl. "These fields will be killed within a week," said SCYSL spokesman Steven Roberts. "Because of the covering that will go on to support the media village, these fields will be dead within a week."
In the meantime, the soccer league says the city hasn't provided a suitable place for 1,500 youth players to practice or play games, a claim that Santa Clara officials dispute. "We want adequate fields for the club," said Santa Clara City Attorney Ren Nosky last week. "We've secured those fields, if any others are available we're certainly open to try and locate that."
Attorneys for SCYSL also argue that the city built the soccer park under a conditional use permit, with the city's planning commission only approving one use for the soccer park: youth soccer. If the city enters into a contract with the NFL, the city is required to hold a public hearing to amend the conditional use permit, which the soccer league says it has not.
"The city broke its own law," said SCYSL attorney Guatam Dutta said last week. "Essentially, the use that allowed for the park is for, and I quote directly, youth soccer only."
A spokesman for the city of Santa Clara said the work ground crews were performing on Monday was to protecting the irrigation system that supplies water to the fields.
The SCYSL has suggested the NFL use the 49ers practice fields - also next to the stadium - as the site for the Super Bowl media village, since the 49ers won't be using it for some time. However, the idea has reportedly not gained any traction with the team or the NFL.
Carlos E. Castañeda is Senior Editor, News & Social Media for CBS San Francisco and a San Francisco native. You can follow him on Twitter or send him an email.