By Calvin Welch, HANC Representative to the Kezar Stadium Advisory Committee
On August 29th the track and field at Kezar Stadium was closed for “sampling and testing” for the repairs to the nearly two decade old track. The $2 million repair was approved in this year's City’s budget after members of the Kezar Stadium Advisory Committee (KSAC) mobilized user and community support for the allocation. Thousands of letters and petition signatures were gathered in support of the effort.
Kezar is primarily used for youth sports and public recreation. Over the years various Mayors have attempted to transform the facility into a “revenue generator” seeking professional sports teams – Irish football, semi-pro soccer and professional lacrosse- to use the facility as a “home”. Each such attempt has been questioned by the KSAC and limits imposed. No alcohol is allowed to be sold at Kezar and no “play-by-play” amplified sound is allowed and these prohibition have been strongly “guarded” by the KSAC, made up of both users representatives and neighborhood residents.
The result of this successful defense of the facility to serve youth- the City’s middle and high school track championships are held there as is the high school Thanksgiving Day championship football game- and the general public’s recreational uses has been “deferred maintenance” by Rec and Park. The KSAC first urged Rec and Park to make repairs to the heavily used track five years ago when the cost would have been less than half of what was eventually required. But no action was taken. The facility was ignored in two Rec and Park bond measures recently passed as well.
What did work was a classic “community mobilzation” strategy of signatures and publicity. Long time neighborhood resident and KSAC member Beatrice Laws got the Chronicle interested and KSAC member and former McAteer High School track coach Marc Christensen provided thousands of signatures from school kids and coaches that depended upon the track.
Kezar Stadium remains primarily a youth sports and a public recreational facility. It is being repaired with no “corporate sponsorship” and no “public, private partnership” but with public funds allowing it to remain a proudly public facility, open to the public and children with no “strings” attached.