City connects on new Smith Field designs

The project involves paving and expanding the parking lot to 167 spaces, expanding the dog park, renovating the baseball fields, moving the snack rack, and adding a new playground, walking paths and picnic zones. The addition of a multiuse turf field, which would replace another baseball field, means the horseshoe pits will be moved. There is no relocation currently proposed and the pits won’t have to be moved until the first parking lot phase starts. 

The city’s Parks Master Plan adopted in 2019 identified a need for further study of Smith Field and its facilities. Because the park doesn’t have a master environmental document in place, the park has never gone through a Coastal Development Permit process, and that has limited development. After last week’s meeting, that should change and give the city more flexibility down the road.

Staff intend to return to the council in September with a funding plan and timeline. Fundraising and grant opportunities will be clearer after all permitting is done. 

The council approved continuing the design process and identifying capital funding to cover 35 percent of the design and a Coastal Development Permit. In addition to design and environmental review, the city also has to extend the water main from near the RV park on Wavecrest Road to help irrigate the fields. The project is not expected to follow California Environmental Quality Act guidelines because new development is happening away from protected wetlands. 

That initial design included new “sports courts” in place of Field 5, but after the city received complaints and consulted with the Half Moon Bay Little League, staff recommended that the area remain a youth baseball field. If there’s community support, the city could build sports courts there later. 

“I think this is a great plan to move Half Moon Bay forward and could end up being one of the best parks the town has,” said Chris Giannini, a former president of Half Moon Bay Little League. 

All of the proposed features could cost about $15.86 million. City staff has met with representatives of a potential donor who is willing to fund the initial phase to pave the parking lot. It’s possible the donor could pay for half of those estimated costs, which total $2.76 million. 

In an effort to determine which features should be emphasized, Mayor Debbie Ruddock requested the city collect info on how frequently the park is used and how many cars are parked. 

“This is potentially a lot of dollars to be spent, and the entire community should be able to benefit from it,” she said. “But let's get statistics on not just what people would like to use it for, but what they use it for now.”

Because of its low-lying geography, some residents and council members voiced concerns about flooding at the fields and dog park, which is a regular occurance. The city will have to evaluate the stormwater drainage, both for the parking lot and the rebuilt fields. 

The city and its consultant used feedback from an online survey, stakeholder interviews and presentations at the Parks and Recreations Commission to craft the design. There was also a booth downtown at Night of Lights in December where 60 people posted their most used features at the park and what they’d like to improve. 

“This preferred concept is consistent with what the community was calling for while giving Half Moon Bay Little League and other baseball enthusiasts the understanding that nobody is pulling the rug out from underneath them,” Public Works Director John Doughty said.