Barlow needs new athletic fields, fields that would also help alleviate the field shortage for kids and adults in Redding.  I support new fields and field renovations, provided they make sense financially and politically.  This simply means that any proposal sent to the voters for approval should have a reasonable chance of passing, or more valuable time will be lost for Barlow’s athletes.

Speaking of lost time, the current board’s failure to support last year’s Falcon Pride proposal for new athletic fields probably cost at least a year’s delay toward getting any kind of significant field improvements.  I would have voted to move the proposal forward, not because it was a perfect plan, but because it would have at least started the inevitable and lengthy process of review by Redding’s Zoning, Planning, and Conservation Commissions, as well as the public.

There was little risk in doing so.  Let’s remember that the board was simply voting for Region 9 to become the “applicant” for the purposes of commission reviews.  According to a written agreement with Falcon Pride, the board could change or withdraw the application at any time, for any reason, and would retain complete control over the project.  At the same time, Falcon Pride would bear all significant costs of undertaking the review process, and would have been able to start an aggressive private fundraising effort.

My guess is that the final, approved plan would have been downscaled from the original version, to conform with applicable regulations and address neighborhood concerns.  We might be ready to implement it by now.  But instead, the board decided to take on the role of the land use commissions, for which it is unqualified, and shoot down the plan.  There might still be no prospect of fields improvements, had it not been for the Athletic Director’s persistence in building support for a credible alternative, which the board endorsed and is now the subject of a “Master Plan.”

I’m pleased that we’re moving forward again, but I also regret the time that was lost in fumbling away an opportunity.  How can we prevent further fumbles?  For a start, elect more board members who have real-world project development experience.

In my professional life, I am a member of a small team that recently developed, permitted, financed, and built a $600 million infrastructure project ahead of schedule and within budget.  In my volunteer time, I have been working directly with the Town and its consultant to improve Redding’s fields to make them more usable and increase available playing time.  Several years ago, I helped lead a facilities renovation project at the Boys & Girls Club that required significant compromises and consensus-building among neighbors, Town commissions, and even fellow Club board members.  The result may not have been perfect – but at least it got done.

(Redding Pilot, October 11, 2007)