Mon, May 18, 2026·Alameda, California·City Council

Alameda Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting - May 18, 2026

Discussion Breakdown

Parks and Recreation67%
Miscellaneous17%
Community Engagement3%
Procedural3%
Youth Programs2%
Public Engagement2%
Fiscal Sustainability2%
Public Safety1%
Infrastructure1%
Engineering And Infrastructure1%
Disability Rights1%

Summary

Alameda Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting - May 18, 2026

This meeting of the Alameda Parks and Recreation Commission began with public comments regarding a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Alameda Little League’s use of Lojan Park, followed by a staff report from Director Justin Long, a presentation on the department’s 2026 capital projects, commissioner communications, and approval of the previous meeting’s minutes. The Commission heard additional public comment on the proposed community garden at Jean Sweeney Park and discussed upcoming agenda items including the Little League MOU and ADA improvements at Longfellow Park.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes from April 9, 2026: Approved unanimously via roll call (Commissioners Alexander, Bernie, Schwartz, Chair Radies all in favor).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Little League MOU at Lojan Park

    • Adam (coach and volunteer with Alameda Little League): Expressed strong support for finding a new, more suitable home for the majors division (10–12 year-olds), stating it is “definitely needed.” He thanked the commission for their work.
    • Jay Ingram (former AGSA board member): Opposed the proposed MOU, arguing the park is too small for the 10–12 age group, that Alameda Little League did not negotiate in good faith, and that the organization should use the established field allocation process rather than seek exclusive use. He requested the commission not approve any future MOU for this purpose.
    • Jill Ingram: Echoed opposition, stating the majors program is not a good fit for the neighborhood park. She noted parking and safety issues (e.g., parking in red zones) and asked for continued neighborhood notification via flyers, as she does not follow social media.
  • Community Garden at Jean Sweeney Park

    • Liz Warmerdam (President, Alameda Backyard Growers): Expressed enthusiasm for the project, thanked staff for their work, and noted the community’s eagerness to get started.
    • Birgit Evans (Alameda Backyard Growers): Supported the inclusion of a part-time city staff coordinator to manage plot fees and enforcement, while volunteers handle educational programming and bylaws. She highlighted the potential for educational space under existing oak trees.

Staff Communication

  • Director Justin Long reported on upcoming events (Volunteer Coastal Cleanup, Alameda Walk Series, National Kids to Parks Day, Play for the Parks Golf Fun & Dinner, Jitterbug concert, Memorial Day closure, Unity Fest, Sand Castle Contest, 4th of July events) and completed maintenance (Harrison Center painting, Lincoln Park irrigation and fitness equipment, Mastic book signing). He noted summer staffing is nearly complete and programs are filling. Upcoming projects include adjusting public office hours (survey upcoming), joint use agreement discussions with Alameda Unified School District, closure of rock spinners at Jean Sweeney Park for engineering review, and repairs to Godfrey Park pergola after vandalism. He also announced a six-week closure of the Lincoln Park parking lot starting June 8 for safety fencing improvements.

Discussion Items

  • 2026 Recreation and Parks Department Project Updates: Director Long presented a detailed slide show covering:
    • Sweeney Park Trail Connectors: Paving completed; striping and signage imminent; expected opening by end of May.
    • City View Skate Park: Construction documents finished; permit review underway; construction to start in October (2.5–3 months), requiring park closure; includes ADA and pathway improvements.
    • Aquatic Center: Bids received; estimate $5M over budget; contract award scheduled for June 16 City Council meeting; construction to begin July 2026 with a two-year duration; 30-meter competition pool and activity pool included, plus a 16’x9’ LCD wall for programming.
    • Community Garden: First phase (~0.5 acre, 70–100 raised beds) to begin vegetation removal in August; phased approach with 12–14 month timeline; city staff coordinator recommended. Design and governance input from Alameda Backyard Growers.
    • Franklin Park Basketball Court: Repaving and ADA improvements starting fall 2026 (4–6 weeks). Court remains full court with one 10’ and one 8’ hoop.
    • Longfellow Park: Basketball court repaving planned spring 2027 (4–6 weeks); ADA access improvements (new entrance) to be discussed at next meeting.
    • Lincoln Park Netting: Safety fencing/netting installation along third baseline and bleachers starting June 8 (4–6 weeks).
    • Lincoln Park Pickleball Courts: Full resurfacing after Estuary Park phase 2 opens (expected late 2026/early 2027); work takes 6–8 weeks.
    • Estuary Park Phase 2: Construction ongoing; includes six pickleball courts, full basketball court, bank shot, ADA playground, lawn, two dog parks, parking lot, and restrooms. Expected completion end of 2026.
    • Clement Tilden Dog Parks: Two dog parks (large/small) to be completed in spring 2027.
    • Lidecker Playground Replacement: Final playground funded; outdated equipment to be replaced starting August 2026 with 1–2 month closure. Poured rubber and wood fiber surfacing; nearby alternatives (Tillman Park) will be publicized.

Commissioner Communications

  • Commissioner Alexander: Thanked Commissioner Robbins for his service; visited multiple Little League games; praised field conditions and dugouts at Little John; enjoyed the Mother’s Day swim event at Encinal; promoted the Friends of the Parks golf tournament (sold out, but donations and raffle available).
  • Commissioner Bernie: Thanked ARPD for maintaining excellent parks for training; reported on running the Boston Marathon to raise funds for a cat shelter.
  • Vice Chair Schwartz: Shared his parents’ positive experiences at Aqua Warrior classes and lap swim; noted difficulty finding drop-in programs at Mastick for visiting relatives.
  • Chair Radies: Reported positive experiences with son’s swim training at Encinal; highlighted the free swim on first Fridays; noted difficulty finding pool closure information and suggested improving phone access. Also spent time at Little John observing games and neighborhood impact; will provide fuller feedback when the MOU item comes before the commission.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved: Minutes from April 9, 2026 (unanimous).
  • Directives: No formal motions were made on the project updates; commissioners offered feedback and requests for future reports.
  • Next Meeting: June 11, 2026. Agenda will include:
    • Presentation and discussion on the Alameda Little League MOU, including potential alternate locations (Director Long).
    • Discussion of ADA access improvements at Longfellow Park.
    • (Noted by Commissioner Alexander) A request for an end-of-summer program performance update in September.
  • Upcoming Presentations: The joint use agreement with AUSD is expected to come before the commission in October/November for feedback before finalization.

Meeting Transcript

How do we give us a h do we give us a h on, so we're gonna give us a Probably 50 to 60 piles of poo uh in the past few months of trying to be a coach and a volunteer in that organization. So thank you again for what you do. I'm out of time and I look forward to working with you guys on trying to find a new home for our majors division for Alameda Little League. It's definitely needed. So thank you. Okay. Next speaker is Jay Ingram. Welcome, Speaker Ingram. And a former AGSA board member, um, want to give some higher level context. I agree with uh what Adam said about finding another location. I'm here to talk about the MOU that might come before you, or maybe it won't, maybe Alameda Little League will pull it back. Higher level context earlier this year, the two basketball, two half court basketball courts were combined into one basketball court. There's a lot of history behind why it was two half courts. I talked with the staff and was unsuccessful. So now and I was told that the Vipers are gonna show up and play there. So now this small park has potentially the Vipers, has the 10 to 12 year old Alameda Little League, and I think you'd have to check with the planning department, Del Monty developer neighbors across the street. Uh they use that park as their open space for their parkland dedication. So if it's got an exclusive view through his little league, it's not open space, it's not parkland dedicated fees. Uh December, we got a notice um about the this agreement that staff and Little League was working on for a community meeting. Uh we asked them to come back for another meeting. Sounded like it was a proposed uh change, but the it didn't really sound like it was proposed. It was sound like it was pretty much a done deal that had been moving forward pretty quickly. Um the changes that have happened in the park in the last nine months have greatly impacted the use, and I think you may be familiar with some of the feedback that the neighbors have provided. Um I will say it kind of follows up what Adam was saying. Little John hosted the little leaguers, the littlest guys, and they've been there for years, and it's been great. So hopefully they'll come back. The ten to twelve will find another place. Maybe the city can work with little league. Um, you know, from this field. They could have put something improvements like this out in a field at the Naval Air Station and worked with the city to have a more permanently permanent home. I just feel strongly in the negotiations that I've been involved with. I feel strongly that Alameda Little League didn't negotiate in good faith with uh the city. And um it didn't seem like going into it that this was going to be a one-year trial. Um I think there's been a little change in the sentiment from Little League that the 10 to 12 year olds this isn't a place, isn't the site for them, it's too small of a park. Uh let's see. If the MOU comes before you, that's what I came for tonight. I wasn't, I thought it was going to be on the agenda, but it's not. So I would ask that you would uh consider it and reach out to some of the neighborhood and the community in regards to some of the details of it because there's a lot of sentiment from the neighborhoods and how this has impacted um the neighbors. Um I feel that Alameda Little League should go through the field allocation process that has been through ARPD for a long time and not get exclusive use of a particular park, regardless of what the school district did to them and so on and so forth. Um let's see. I'll just wrap up by saying the neighborhood park known as Lojan Park is too small to support the 10 to 12 year olds. I think little league is kind of realize on that and their families. I would ask that uh when and if an MOU comes before the park and recreation commission, the recreation park commission, um, that you're not approve it. Um and go from there. I'll leave you with some pictures of the infrastructure that they kind of put in. Um, not kind of, they did, and then I will leave a picture for you, Justin, about the baller, just a reminder as the baller. So, thank you. Next speaker is Jill Ingram. Welcome, Speaker Ingram. Thank you.