Youth sports goes to parks commission’s turf

June Casagrande

Youth sports leaders will explain to members of the city’s Parks,

Beaches and Recreation Commission tonight why they think playing

fields at Bonita Canyon Sports Park should open sooner rather than

later.

Newport Beach Little League board member John Della Grotta said

his group plans to present testimony from a turf expert on why the

fields could open sooner. City officials have delayed opening the

fields until summer to allow grass planted there to become well

rooted.

Della Grotta and others have argued that letting kids play on the

fields right now would not harm the grass. They also say the city

made a mistake in choosing a mix of fescue and Bermuda grasses for

the playing fields. They plan to bring along an expert tonight to

support their arguments.

Kent Kurtz, professor of horticulture at Cal Poly Pomona and an

expert on playing-field turf, is expected to testify that the city

could allow kids to play on the grass right now without damaging it.

“Our goal is just for them to turn over the fields so we can start

playing as soon as possible,” Della Grotta said.

Several other issues confound their goal. For one thing, the city

has not taken possession of the fields from the contractor now doing

the work. Financial and legal liabilities complicate the question of

when the city can take possession of all or part of the park.

Some, such as Della Grotta, say the city can find a way to deal

with these issues.

City officials have said they share the priority of providing

playing fields as soon as possible, but they disagree on when the

grass will be ready for players.

Demand for playing field space has created a crisis in the last

few years as more sports organizations have been competing for space.

The $7-million Bonita Canyon Sports Park was scheduled to open in

July 2002, but in November 2001, work on the project stopped after

contractor Castello Inc. hit crippling financial difficulties. A bond

insuring the job paid for a new contractor, Erraca’s Inc., of

Lakeside, Calif.

Commissioners will hear a staff report on the project at their

meeting tonight, as well as testimony from youth sports advocates.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

[email protected].