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Home My WebLink About8.2 Direction on Enhancements at Fallon Sports Park Field Gr DUBLIN CALIFORNIA STAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL Agenda Item 8.2 DATE: TO: FROM: SU B,ECT: February 4, 2025 Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers Colleen Tribby, City Manager Direction on Enhancements at Fallon Sports Park Field G Prepared by: Colleen Tribby, City Manager EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City Council will consider potential improvements, in both the short and long term, that will enhance the City's marketing and use of Fallon Sports Park Field G, including a pilot program to allow advertising signage on the outfield fence. This field is the City's singular 90-foot, lighted, regulation baseball field, is home to the Dublin Leprechauns professional baseball team as well as the Emerald High School team, and is heavily utilized by Dublin Little League and other local community groups. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Receive the report and provide direction. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Staff has not yet evaluated the cost associated with all of the improvements identified in this report. Upon direction to proceed, Staff will return at a future meeting(s) with a budget appropriation request. DESCRIPTION: Background Fallon Sports Park (FSP) is a multi -sport community facility that provides baseball and softball fields, artificial turf soccer fields, basketball and tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, a premier cricket field, batting cages, a BMX course, bocce courts, playgrounds, group picnic areas, and associated parking lots. The facilities are available for and have been primarily used for rental by community groups and competitive local teams. Some of the amenities also provide walk-on opportunities (e.g., the basketball and volleyball courts, etc.) when not rented. Page 1 of 4 1 This 90-foot baseball field (FSP Field G) at the corner of Central Parkway and Fallon Road is the only fully enclosed field that can accommodate regulation, higher level competition. The field has recently become home to two major tenants for their respective seasons: the new Emerald High School Baseball Program, which will utilize the field during the school year season (spring), and the Pecos League Professional Baseball Club Dublin Leprechauns (summer). The City expects that these two tenants will attract more local participants, potential playoffs and tournaments, and greater attendance and use of Field G. As such, Staff has been engaging in discussions internally and with the Leprechauns organization on potential improvements to the field that will not only encourage higher level usage for professional and high school teams but will enhance the experience for our community groups seeking to host tournament play. Below is the list of improvements for City Council consideration. Items for Consideration Short -Term (Items Requested for 2025 Season) 1) Install a flagpole in center field. The City Council previously authorized the flagpole, and Staff is currently working on this, with the goal of installing it by May 2025. 2) Install public address system (PA) and Wi-Fi for use by patrons. Staff would need to evaluate the cost and environmental impact of this. 3) Authorization for outfield fence signage. Staff has evaluated outdoor signage at other professional parks and community fields and recommends implementing a pilot program at Field G. This topic is discussed further below. 4) Installation of weather protection on the back of the dugouts. Weather protection can take the form of windscreens, solar screens, or other materials and structures to protect dugout users. Long -Term (Items Requested for 2026 Season) 1) Bleachers and improved stadium design to support attendance and concessions. 2) Scoreboard upgrade and relocation to right field. 3) Permanent Storage - Shipping container placed adjacent to first base bullpen. Outfield Fence Signage Discussion Advertising at sports fields is a widely used tool for generating revenue to support a club or team's activities. For the Leprechauns, in particular, it is a way to compensate and provide housing for its roster of professional players. Staff looked at some examples of how such signage looks at ballfields that house other professional teams (Attachment 1) and evaluated how signage is managed in the cities of San Ramon, Pleasanton, Modesto, and Palo Alto to help inform potential options for Dublin. The specific requirements put in place by the agencies vary, but the general concepts are similar: certain groups (primarily co -sponsored or approved sports organizations) Page 2 of 4 2 can put up signage for a defined period (either a weeks -long season or the duration of the rental) as long as it complies with certain standards. From Staff's perspective, such advertising in Dublin would need to be approved in advance and not conflict with the City's values or be controversial in nature. Staff would also want to ensure that signage would not create a visual blight or a distraction to drivers along adjacent roads. To that end, Staff recommends installing a dark green backing material to which the signage would be attached so that the view from outside the park is clean and consistent. Staff also recommends piloting this program beginning spring 2025 only at FSP Field G and making it available to any group renting that field for the duration of their rental or period of exclusive use. Expanding the signage to other fully enclosed City fields could be considered upon the success of the pilot. Policies surrounding such signage would include the following: - Signs must be approved by City staff prior to installation. - Advertisements shall only be displayed on the field's outfield fence and shall only face the field's interior. - Advertising copy and/or logos shall be limited to one side and shall be made of durable cloth, bunting, plastic, or similar approved material. Individual advertisements shall not exceed a "footprint" of six feet by 16 feet. - The advertisement's surface must be tautly and securely fastened to the outfield fence of the field by a minimum of four contact points. - The renter will maintain all advertising materials in good condition and will remove or replace any damaged, torn, faded, dirty, or defaced advertisements. - Advertisements shall be installed no sooner than three days prior to the season's commencement and shall be removed within three days of the season's close. - Specific dates and times for the advertisements' installation and removal may be subject to change by the City to minimize impacts to the public. Next Steps If the City Council desires to pursue the improvements discussed in this Staff Report, Staff will do the following: 1) Finalize policies and standards surrounding the pilot signage program and implement the program for the 2025 spring season. 2) Return to the City Council at the February 18 meeting with a request for a new Capital Improvement Program (CIP) project, including a budget appropriation for exploration of and/or implementation of the other short-term items identified in this Staff Report. 3) Seek approval and funding of the long-term improvements through the normal CIP budgeting process (April - June 2025). STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE: None. Page 3 of 4 3 NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: The City Council Agenda was posted. ATTACHMENTS: 1) Fence Signage Examples Page 4 of 4 4 Attachment 1 Fence Signage Examples 1. Oakland Ballers 2. Martinez Sturgeon 4 riv W KiwanusRotary�,tl �. CLUB Of MARTIf *.L Club 't, r S UC TI N wcnoN J_7i REPUBLIC V4 SERVICES Sustalnablllry In 5 Attachment 1 3. San Rafael Pacifics 6