Rec Commission: Bifurcate Beach Playfield

Beach Playfield will be divided into two smaller fields (shown in the sketch at right) if a plan approved unanimously by the Piedmont Recreation Commission Thursday night, Nov. 15, makes it through a series of formal and informal steps.

It's the latest attempt to solve what many Piedmont residents see as a major problem — weekend use of the 120 x 240-foot field at Linda and Lake avenues by groups of adult soccer players. Some parents have said the games don't leave enough safe space for children and families to use the field, while neighbors have complained of the noise generated by the adult games.

The new plan, approved unanimously by commission members, sets up the following set of rules for use of the playfield:

• Use of the field is restricted to “cross field/east-west” play orientation using Field A or Field B as marked as by field lines.

• Field A use is restricted to casual use only (no games) with “use by all” philosophy with priority for youth and family use.

• Field B may be used for casual competitive games with use only inside the field lines with a maximum of 12 participants.

• Full Length Use of Beach Field is prohibited. 

City Recreation Director Mark Delventhal said if the new plan passes muster with the city attorney for legal concerns and city recreation staff for practical ones, the commission will send it on to the Piedmont City Council for final approval.

The commission held public hearings on the playfield issue in July and September.

Delventhal said a permanent physical divider between the two new fields isn't practical, so the city will use pylons or other portable barriers to mark the division.

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