The council voted 5-0 at its June 6 meeting to allow the Los Gatos United Soccer League to use Oak Meadow for practice only during limited hours, two days per week.

The approval comes with specific conditions that must be met, and Los Gatos United has committed to paying for improvements to the field. The decision will be reviewed at the council's first meeting in September.

"What we've allowed here is for 6- to 10-year-old boys and girls to play soccer in a Los Gatos park," Mayor Mike Wasserman said.

Parks and Public Works Director John Curtis said that, following a December 2004 meeting of the town council, an analysis found there were sufficient fields to accommodate Los Gatos United and the recreational soccer programs provided by the Los Gatos-Saratoga Community Education and Recreation Department for games. But there were not enough fields to meet the practice needs for the many teams in the community. Council members questioned whether Oak Meadow Park was the place to meet those needs.

"Is it appropriate policy to use one of our park sites—our crown jewel—for recreational, athletic uses?" Councilman Joe Pirzynski asked. "That's the underlying issue."

The conditions the league must follow at Oak Meadow were determined after a May 3 discussion between parks commission officials and Ed San Juan, the outgoing president of the soccer league. The conditions were further revised by the town council on June 6. San Juan said the need for more practice space also arose because of renovations to Blossom Hill and Daves Avenue elementary schools. Over the past six years, the league has gone from having space available at 12 fields to eight, San Juan said.

Boys and girls, ages 10 and under, will be allowed in the park for practice only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Dale Greenley, incoming league president, said this will amount to about 70 hours of use. Practices will be allowed from July through November 2005, but only for the teams from recreational leagues. Greenley assured the council that no permanent goals would be set up and only cones would be used.

"We don't allow practice when there's heavy rains with any of our fields," Greenley said.

Initially players may wear cleats, but this will be evaluated and adjusted if necessary. Soccer representatives spoke about how cleats need to be worn by players to meet California Youth Soccer Association guidelines and for safety and liability reasons.

Only two teams, including about 30 children and four coaches, will practice during the designated time slot. The league primarily serves Los Gatos and Monte Sereno children and is expecting approximately 1,600 registered players for the upcoming season. Curtis and the league will make arrangements prior to the start of practice sessions about coaches and parents using the Oak Meadow parking lot and payment of parking fees. Soccer use will be considered secondary to any other planned use, such as scheduled special events.

"We want to prove we can be good neighbors to the town and improve the field," Greenley said. "The fields we've got, we leave them in better shape than we got them."

In addition, the grass area used for practice will be maintained by the league at no cost to the town for five to seven months. The turf will need to be prepared by the league prior to practices starting in July, at no cost to the town, and maintained or repaired after the season ends. Any gopher issues will be abated by the league, also at no cost to the town. San Juan assured council members that the league is willing to "foot the bill" and properly aerate and fertilize the grass.

"We're willing to do whatever it takes to get usage of the fields," San Juan said.

Curtis gave a report about data collected on the use of the large, open area in Oak Meadow Park, after being directed to collect the information following a Jan. 29 town retreat. The park is used for informal purposes, such a picnics, playing frisbees or barbecuing as well as organized scheduled events.

Councilwoman Diane McNutt expressed disappointment the public was not made aware this was being considered at the June 6 meeting. She was concerned informal organizations such as bridge clubs, poetry reading groups and senior citizens who practice tai chi in the park weren't notified. In contrast, Pirzynski said young children playing soccer might also "add to the ambiance of the park."

Councilman Steve Glickman warned league representatives that, should concerns arise about lack of parking or damage to Oak Meadow Park's fields, those issues would come back to the council.