Plans for Blair Park Remain in Limbo

The Moraga Canyon drawings and traffic safety options are in and have been forwarded to Piedmont's consultant to determine if either warrant any amendments to the certified . The city is still waiting for the backers of the proposal to build sports fields in Blair Park to submit financial plans, according to City Administrator Geoff Grote. He said Monday that all the documents will be made available to the public once the whole package is complete.

The documents were requested on March 22 when the City Council gave to the Piedmont Recreational Facilities Organization's (PRFO) proposal. Initially, the council had contemplated that the package would be ready for a final vote as early as April 4. Plans for a final hearing on that date and then on April 25 were nixed.

No official updates have been issued since. Grote would not speculate on a timeline for next steps. The city has promised to post full project documents 10 days in advance of any hearings on the matter.

Meanwhile, the controversy, which is featured in this week's edition of the East Bay Express, continues to simmer, with opponents taking every opportunity to bring it up in public forums.

Ralph Catalano, who has often criticized the PRFO plan, suggested at a council meeting May 2 that the city reconsider that have been presented. At the May 18 Recreation Commission meeting, Rick Schiller worried the city was surrendering too much passive recreation space to youth sports groups, such as those groups the new fields at Blair would benefit. Schiller submitted a letter to Fire Captain David Swann the next day suggesting that PRFO's ideas for slowing traffic around Blair Park (by narrowing Moraga Avenue or putting in round-abouts) conflict with the city's hazard mitigation plan regarding evacuation routes.