Piedmont OKs Youth Sports Center Plan Despite Environmental Concerns
PIEDMONT (KCBS) – After several hours of heated debate, the Piedmont City Council early Tuesday morning gave its tentative approval to a plan to build a controversial youth sports complex, despite opponents worries that the proposal will damage the environment and endanger children.
The $6 million project at a five acre site along Moraga Avenue will be paid for by private donors. The proposed Moraga Canyon Sports Fields Project will include a field for soccer and baseball, as well as a dog park and a parking lot.
Jessica Berg is one of the leading backers of the project, and she said that it is vital to meet the growing appetite for youth sports in the area.
"We're talking about at least 300 kids playing soccer alone, that we know we cannot accommodate if we don't get these fields built," said Berg. "We really need this, and we need it quickly."
KCBS' Chris Filippi Reports:
However, opponents said that it will ruin Piedmont's last bit of open space.
"I think it's fine to have a sports field, but does it have to be that big, and does it have to desecrate all of those wonderful trees?" said one concerned neighbor.
Others said that there are traffic problems, and safety concerns for kids around all of that traffic. More details need to be worked out, but the field could be ready as soon as next year.
(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
