Following months of research into potential sites for a long sought-after cricket pitch in Pleasanton, city staff are considering how to move forward with the next steps of the process amid a surge of negative feedback from community members on the recommendation of Muirwood Community Park as a site several months ago.
At the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on Nov. 18, staff recommended Muirwood Park as the site for two proposed sports facilities at the top of the city’s agenda: a cricket field and pickleball courts.
While the commission voted unanimously in favor of both items, the public input process, including several community meetings earlier this month, has garnered significant pushback from neighboring residents on the former.
“So far, feedback has been almost 100% negative, so that will definitely weigh in,” said Heidi Murphy, Pleasanton’s director of library and recreation. “It was very different than we expected, so our plans may change.”
Cricket has been on the horizon for Pleasanton since 2014, when the Parks and Recreation Master Plan specifically mentioned it as one of the programs the city should seek to facilitate, in cooperation with youth sports organizations. In January 2021, the commission named a cricket field as its No. 3 priority, with support from a number of residents.
The City Council unanimously supported the construction of a cricket field on April 28, 2021, deciding to make it an “A-list” rather than a “C-list priority,” with $250,000 in…
