sr-091482-11eDPA:RP:dc
Council Meeting: 9/14/82
TO: Mayor and City Council
FR~1: City Staff
SUBJECT: S.M.C.. Use of Clover Park
II~TTRODUCTION
Santa Monica, California 1,
'SEP 1 4
This report supplies additional information requested by Council regarding the use of
Clover Park by Santa Monica College, item 10-A on the agenda of August 24, and
reconar~nds that Council approve the Recreation and Park Comnission recoimiendation.
B4CK(,RniTi~Tf)
The City of Santa Monica and Santa .Monica .College entered into a joint use agreement
in 1977 concerning "Co~mnniity Recreation, College Physical Education and
Athletics". This agreement expresses both parties desire to cooperate with each
other and to conduct joint programs in order to "promote and cultivate the health,
welfare and good citizenship of the students and people bf the City and the District".
The agreement further. states that "the development of recreational, physical education
and athletic programs to meet the needs of the college and the crnmnm;ty requires optima
use of all publicly-owned facilities which are adaptable to use for recreational,
physical education and athletic purposes".
On September 8, 1981, the Recreation and Parks Coumission recoumended that Council
approve a request by S.M.C. to use Clover Park for baseball practice and gains. The use
would have necessitated the construction of warm up mounds and homeplates on the 1st and
3rd base sides. It was determined that this construction would not interfere with
intended soccer use of the field. This reconanendation was never approved.
The. baseball team had been using and continues to use Marine Park since being "displaced"
by the new college library in 1977. They use Marine field from early October through ,
February, Monday through Thursday fr~n 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and March through May,
Monday through Friday from 1 p.m, to 3:30 p.m. Additional time is needed for ~(~
ESEP~~1982
'~7PA: RF : do
Council meeting: 9/14/82
approximately twelve games played between March and May, scheduled either on a *.~ekday
from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. or on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Recreation and Parks Commission submitted to Council on August 24, 1982, their
recounendation that S.M.C."s request for field space at Clover Park for their soccer program;:
be granted, but that afternoon use of the. park be negotiated between the College and
Santa Monica High School. Council requested additional information.
S.M.C. has not had a soccer team since 1977 when the field where they also practed and
played was replaced by the college library. Spectator attendance at their games was
historically low, with an average of from twenty-five to fifty in attendance. Hcxaever,
according to college officials, there is increasing interest in soccer as former --
participants in the area's active American Youth Soccer Organization program are
reaching college age.
The college is .requesting weekday use of the soccer field September 2 through
Decenber 3, 1982. The college would use the field Monday through Thtffsday from
2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Fridays fran 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Clover Park is already used by Santa Monica High School on a regular basis
for baseball fr~n 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays during baseball season. To circulate a
questionnaire in the cnmmm~ty to solicit feedback on use of these same hours during soccer
season would be confusing to the ecmrtnm;ty and not helpful for Council discussion. It has
been staff's experience that there would normally be very little unscheduled use of the
field during these hours. The request would not interfere with other current use of the
field during soccer season by Real Soccer on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 p.m. to
7:00 p.m. and by AYSO on Wedyesdays from 4:30 p.m. tp 7:00 p.m., and on Saturdays
from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
It should be noted that other park fields are used on a regularly scheduled basis for
team sports by Crossroads and St. Monica's Schools. If such use of city parks by teams
PP: T7T2: do
Page 3
Santa Monica, California
from both private and public schools is to be discouraged or limited in any way, the
policy should be reviewed on a citywide basis.
If the soccer team is allowed use of Clover Park, transportation arrangeu~nts will be
worked out with the as yet to be hired coach. It is probable that the team will jog
the five block distance to the park, m;n;m;zing parking impact on the park.
Staff recommends Council approve the use of Clover Park playfield by S.M.C. for
soccer.
Prepared by: Donald T. Arnett, Director
Recreation and Parks
Vivian Rothstein
Conarn~ity Liaison
DTA:do