Blair Park Settlement: PRFO Won't Pay Remaining Amount Owed to City

Under a settlement announced at Monday night's Piedmont City Council meeting, the Piedmont Recreational Facilities Organziation (PRFO) will not pay all of some $200,000 owed to the city for costs in connection with the controversial Blair Park sports field project.

However, the PRFO wants to raise $125,000 in private contributions over the next several months. The money will go toward city recreational projects, Mayor John Chiang said in announcing the settlement Monday night.

The complete settlement will be posted on the City of Piedmont website Tuesday, Sept. 17, he said.

The council approved the settlement agreement 4-1, with Councilmember Garrett Keating dissenting. The agreement was finalized during a closed session of the city council before the 7:30 p.m. public session, with a formal vote at the beginning of the public meeting.

It appeared from the brief announcement Monday that the city will retain the $95,000 still on deposit in a special fund designed to cover legal costs arising from litigation over the Blair Park proposal. If that's applied to PRFO's debt for general project-related expenses, it leaves the city absorbing $113,533 in costs for legal and consultant fees.

City officials met with PRFO representatives at least three times this year to discuss the money that was still owed to the city. From city council meeting agendas and minutes, it appears that council members have discussed the issue during several closed sessions under the heading of "possible initiation of litigation."

The PRFO originally deposited $125,000 in the legal fund. Of that amount, $15,000 went to cover legal costs for the non-profit Friends of Moraga Canyon, which filed legal action against the city over environmental concerns about the sports field plan. Another $15,000 is designated to pay for a landscaping plan for Blair Park.

PRFO also deposited $118,000 in a second fund designated for legal and consultant fees incurred by the city in connection with the project. Those funds have already been used to pay some city costs.

The $6 million-plus Blair Park plan would have built two playing fields, chiefly for soccer, and added associated facilities at the Park on Moraga Avenue, privately financed through the PRFO.

For additional information, see:

"Talks Resume on Unpaid Costs of Blair Park Sports Complex Plan"

"Blair Park Revisited: City Still Negotiating with PRFO Over $208,532 in Unpaid Bills"