MILLBRAE (Map, News) - Ed Musa and his two boys have become accustomed to twisting ankles and tripping on gopher holes while trying to play at Millbrae’s Spring Valley Elementary School fields.

Musa and other parents said they often choose to play sports elsewhere because the fields are in such “horrendous” shape. Fields at Millbrae’s Spring Valley, Lomita Park and Meadows elementary schools are “unplayable,” city officials said. Kids at the schools have been forced to spend physical education and recess time on the blacktop instead of on the fields.

“The grass is uncut, the holes are covered so when you’re running by you don’t know what’s level and what’s a hole. It’s just totally unsafe,” Musa said.

Fortunately for families like the Musas, months of negotiations between the city and its school district have led to $3.5 million in fixes to the three fields that will likely take place during the next two years. A new 15-year city-school district agreement would also provide for upgrades to Taylor Middle and Green Hills Elementary schools, which are “dramatically overused,” Community Development Director Ralph Petty said.

The agreement will be voted on by the school district board on April 14 and the City Council Tuesday. With the district overseeing Mills High School raising fees to use Millbrae’s largest field, many leagues are hoping to use the city’s other five fields for significantly less money.

“Fixing those fields up is going to create a lot more practice time and probably will allow all of our organizations to expand and we may be able to take new organizations in,” city Recreation Services manager Howard Kaplan said.

The district has cut $1.8 million and counting in the last five years and is asking voters to approve a $78-per-parcel tax on June 3. The district’s share of about $1.75 million will not come out of its general budget, however, Petty said. Instead, the city’s redevelopment agency will provide the district with $180,000 annually from its redevelopment agency, which the district will use to pay back loans from a private investor, he said.

For its half of the upgrades, the city will then use fees that developers pay in lieu of providing parks or open space to accompany new projects.

mrosenberg@examiner.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

12:32 PM MST on Mon., May. 12, 2008 re: "Pet owners getting dogged looking for a place to park"

Examiner Reader said:
Yeah, hardly any dog owners ever pick up after their dogs ... it is disgusting. How is it any differnt from humans using the streets for toilets? It smells just as bad. Why don't those people have their dogs crap and urinate in front of their OWN HOUSES instead of in front of MY HOUSE? My favorite comment this week "get over it -- when it rains, it will wash it away" ...uh, it is the month of MAY, idiot.

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11:56 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 29, 2008 re: "City rejects PGA Tour�s bid for fungicide use at Harding"

Examiner Reader said:
Rather than pressuring SF to use dangerous chemicals the PGA ought to be threatening to stop having tournaments at golf courses that don't use recycled water. Harding Park uses Hetch Hetchy water. What a terrible waste.

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9:20 AM MST on Sat., Apr. 26, 2008 re: "Neighborhood parks are making the grade"

Examiner Reader said:
I wish Supervisor Maxwell and others so inclined, would stop with the comments re: the more affluent neighborhoods receiving the bulk of park funding. As an employee of the Recreation and Park Dept. I can tell you that, through the years, a lot of tax dollars have been allocated to the southeast quadrant of the city, more often at the expense of other areas of the city to address such concerns as playground/field maintenance and recreation programming. This is an area of the city that appears to expect certain entitlements, yet cannot uphold their end of the bargain to respect and work with our department to help maintain our resources. It's tiring to constantly hear that this area is so underfunded and how it's the Recreation and Parks Dept's fault for not doing this, or not doing that. When their play structures, buildings and equipment are vandalized and program attendance is low, we still make the necessary repairs and do the community outreach. And this is still our fault? C'

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10:39 AM MST on Sun., Mar. 16, 2008 re: "New proposal for downtown space wins over hearts"

Justine said:
it looks weird that the building is on a high side n the surrounding is low.. why not make it same plane field so it won't look like theres a huge building out of no where???!?!? or face the other building towards ryans park n not block behind JCC...

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3:04 AM MST on Sun., Dec. 2, 2007 re: "Once empty lot, now part of community"

Examiner Reader said:
You should see the beautiful 20,000 Christmas lights on the garden of eden on 2600 block of Eager street. This is the twelve years of lifting the spirit of the children and residents. Another example of what to do with a vacant lot - save lives. The lights are on from 5p.m. to 1.33a.m.

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6:46 PM MST on Fri., Jun. 1, 2007 re: "Future park among largest in county"

Examiner Reader said:
The traffic on woodbine road is bad enough as it is so lets build something to bring in more. The people that were born and raised in woodbine have moved away because of the over crowding and the outsiders coming in. We don't need another yuppie park where people can drive in with their lexus', what about a park were you can drive your tractor in,you know something for the farm people.Lets listen to the people OF WOODBINE not the people thats lived here for a few years.

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7:35 PM MST on Thu., May. 24, 2007 re: "Future of Rash Field�s volleyball park is uncertain"

Ryan said:
Its interesting that with such a large demand for the Volleyball courts, all of the proposals for the new park have less area for volleyball. There is nothing like city officals that don't listen to the people. You got to love it!

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