DEAR EDITOR:
A sports park in Gilroy?
Well, we definitely need one, but when are we going to get it?
Gilroy seems to have been promising this for a while and yet we
have seen no action taken to begin construction.
DEAR EDITOR:
A sports park in Gilroy?
Well, we definitely need one, but when are we going to get it? Gilroy seems to have been promising this for a while and yet we have seen no action taken to begin construction.
On the issue of the construction of a sports park it seems the city would be to blame but, in this case, it is the LAFCO, an independent agency with the authority to reject municipal or private annexation requests.
The Gilroy City Council previously made the decision to place 660 acres of prime farmland, located east of the Gilroy Premium Outlets, into the city’s 20-year planning boundary. Now they want to annex an additional 62 acres of land, adjacent to the already approved 78 acres reserved for the sports complex, and the LAFCO won’t allow it.
The concern of the LAFCO is that Gilroy will not preserve any of its agricultural land and would rather develop it than farm it. LAFCO is forcing Gilroy to create an agricultural lands plan, and even then they will only consent to annexation of part of the additional 62 acres of land.
I think that Gilroy should take more action against LAFCO in convincing them to annex the land. Why does the LAFCO need to delay a long-awaited project just to get the city of Gilroy to give it what it wants?
Construction has been delayed long enough and it is time to take action. I support Gilroy in its plans to begin the first phases of this project that has been delayed for too long.
Hopefully, the LAFCO Board will come to its senses and accept the proposals that Gilroy is offering it. This sports park will really benefit the local youth of Gilroy.
Megan Olea, Gilroy
Submitted Sunday, Nov. 3 to [email protected]
