LAGUNA BEACH : City to Consider New Soccer Field

The City Council tonight will consider whether to formally begin talks with the state about the possibility of installing a soccer field on a slice of Crystal Cove State Park behind El Morro Elementary School.

Councilman Wayne Peterson, who placed the subject on the agenda, said the sports’ popularity has outgrown the space needed to play the game.

Laguna Beach now has more than 900 youngsters playing soccer, but its one field at Moulton Meadows Park is not regulation size, Peterson said.

jLast year, when a Laguna Beach American Youth Soccer Organization team made the playoffs, members were forced to play their “home” game in Mission Viejo.

“And that just doesn’t make any sense,” he said.

Peterson said AYSO representatives approached him about the need for an another field, especially for older children.

“We’re getting more junior high and high school kids in the sport now as the sport matures,” he said. “It’s just proved to be very, very successful.”

Peterson cautioned, however, that state officials were only lukewarm to the early suggestions of scheduling talks.

“The state has not given us a lot of encouragement, but they have said they are willing to discuss it with us,” Peterson said.

In addition, the city’s staff has done only “very minor analysis” of the project so far, according to a memo from Peterson to his colleagues.

The new field would be east of a dirt road that runs parallel to Coast Highway, directly behind the school. The earth would have to be leveled, the memo says.

The council will decide tonight whether to direct city staff to formally begin talks with AYSO representatives, the Laguna Beach Unified School District and state park officials about the installation of the field. The council meeting begins at 6 p.m.

Councilman Robert F. Gentry indicated Monday that he is open to suggestions.

“It just sounded to me like it was a very good arrangement, not only for the families in Laguna Beach but for other families as well,” Gentry said. “But certainly it needs to be evaluated.”