Salinas Soccer complex moves forward

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an amended memorandum of understanding pushing forward plans for the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex on Tuesday.

The amended MOU between the county and the city of Salinas extends the original lease for the land where the soccer complex will be located from 30 years and a single 20-year extension, to 50 years with the possibility of two 20-year extensions.

The extension allows more time for the Salinas Regional Sports Authority, a non-profit organization, to pursue financing for the project.

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According to the MOU, the county is leasing the 42-acre site to the city of Salinas for $1 annually, and the city will sublease the land to the Salinas Regional Sports Authority. The county-owned site is on Constitution Boulevard across from the Natividad Medical Center.

The three-phase project will begin with the first two phases, which is estimated to cost $6 million. Sports Authority President Warren Wayland said $300,000 in cash and $500,000 from grants has been raised so far.

The project must be fully permitted within three years, under construction within five years and operational within eight years, said Carl Holm director of Monterey County’s Resource Management Agency.

The item next goes to the city of Salinas where City Council will vote on the item and then the project will be able to begin.

Wayland, president of the Sports Authority, said the genesis of the soccer project was to expand sports opportunities in Salinas with the idea of creating a healthier community.

“It’s to give kids a right choice instead of a wrong choice,” said Wayland.

“Salinas is really a hot spot for soccer, this is really a regional hotspot we have here, and this is a resource that we’ve really needed to have for many years,” said Kurt Gollnick, a Sports Authority board member who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting. “Otherwise the kids find less healthy things to do.”

Sabino Lopez, interim director for Center for Community Advocacy called the soccer project, “a great opportunity to improve this area.”

“Do it for our whole community, our family, our youth, but for everyone,” he said.

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The project history

The Salinas Regional Soccer Complex has been in the works since 2008, proposed to the city by Wayland, but stalled for several reasons – fundraising and a 2015 lawsuit by a few agriculture families (owners of the property within the Carr Lake area) who were concerned stormwater runoff from the project site could affect their properties, said City Attorney Chris Callihan.

In 2015, the city of Salinas settled the lawsuit so the soccer project could move forward. That said, the MOU had been sitting on the burner awaiting an amended and the board of supervisors vote on the amendment.

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Supervisor Luis Alejo, whose district includes the city of Salinas, said the project is important to the community addressing the need for more parks and recreation and offering a healthy alternative for youth.

Alejo was the one who brought the item back on the agenda and said he worked with Salinas City Councilmembers Tony Barrera and Scott Davis on moving the amended MOU forward for a vote. Alejo said he is also working with Davis on further projects including a second soccer park and a BMX skate park.

Contact Government Reporter Amy Wu at 831-737-6791 or awu@thecalifornian.com. Follow Wu on Twitter @wu_salnews or www.facebook.com/amywucalifornian.