Keeping it Real: Crestview Park Likely to Keep Natural Grass

At tonight’s meeting of the San Carlos City Council, city staff will recommend the removal of the Artificial Turf Conversion at Crestview Park due to lack of support from the neighborhood surrounding the park, residents, the sports community and a deadlocked 2-2 vote by the Parks & Recreation Commission.

The plan to turf the 1.1-acre field located on Crestview Drive was part of an attempt to provide year-round playing time for the growing number of sports groups in San Carlos. The artificial surface would also cut back on maintenance costs, city officials said.

But an outpouring of community opposition to replacing natural grass at Crestview Park with synthetic turf has prompted the city to reconsider its plans for the project, which is part of an overall plan to upgrade the park’s playground equipment, basketball courts and picnic areas.

In a July 29 posting on NextDoor.com, San Carlos resident and opposition organizer Mike Thompson encourages residents to contact city leaders with concerns and objections over this proposal.

“Ask yourself, would you rather spend on Crestview Park's natural grass field or Highlands Park's plastic field this weekend? This natural oasis in the San Carlos hills will be gone forever if the city caters to a small special interest group, rather than the interests of all San Carlos citizens.”

And Thompson told the San Jose Mercury News that although it appears the conversion plan will be shot down by city council on Monday night, he’s not declaring victory just yet.

“It’s not over till the vote is taken,” Thompson told the Merc. “I don’t want to be premature.”

San Carlos Public Works Director Jay Walter says it’s clear that there was little support for the conversion from natural grass to turf at Crestview Park, and he says the city has listened to the community’s concerns.

“We have clearly heard the voices from residents that have attended one or more of the meetings and who have submitted emails to council and staff that they do not want to see the natural turf converted to artificial turf,” Walter wrote.

A petition circulated by Thompson garnered nearly 2,600 signatures opposing the conversion. http://www.savesancarlosparks.org/contacts 

The San Carlos City Council will meet Monday, July 8 at 7:00 p.m. in San Carlos City Hall, 600 Elm Street. For more information or to view the meeting agenda, click here.