Looking at how the fence bordering the soccer field was destroyed by balls and kids reminded me of research I did years ago on noise reduction, as my property is bordered by a well-traveled road. There are methods available that the city or school should pay for since it is their noise that degrades neighboring property. It's not cheap but not exorbitant either. Check these sites to see what I am referring to.
Was thinking the same thing. Higher fence with insulation between the sides. We have this in our backyard (minus the insulation) and border a hotel and it could be worse….
I am appalled by this story. Three things stand out. The 1.8 million dollars spent on a soccer field!!? Really, when budgets are so tight? Six fields lying fallow at Ragle? And the soccer organization turning a blind eye while enjoying the revenue provided by these public assets. Three institutional failures combined to create this miserable situation for the neighbors who pay the taxes and otherwise support these organizations. Common sense and courtesy require that these three institutions get together and solve it. Or it will end up in court. Finding/raising enough money to fix a few of the Ragle fields seems like a better solution and sets a better example for the kids.
To our Brookhaven neighbors — we hear you, and we want you to know: people are working hard on this. Brookhaven gets intense use — not just for soccer, but for all kinds of youth activity. That's not a failure of institutional planning. It's proof of need and the need exceeded expectations. Kids in this community need places to play, and right now there simply aren't enough of them.
-> New year-round fields — We've proposed temporary fields at the Sebastopol Hotel site as a bridge to a permanent home behind the Youth Annex on Morris Street. Year-round, all-weather fields are especially critical for higher-level play that currently has nowhere to go.
Brookhaven is overused because it works — it fills a gap that no other facility currently fills. The fact that families show up in such numbers is the whole argument for why we need more.
If you think there's an obvious solution we're missing, we genuinely want to hear it. In the meantime, we hope you'll see the packed fields not as a nuisance but as a community that loves its kids and is fighting to give them what they deserve. We thank you for your patience while we build something better. 🙏⚽
Gabrielle, Over a million to build a new artificial turf field does seem crazy but if you check it out, that's the going price. This was funded by the last school bond. I don't think the soccer club gets any revenue from a field at Brookhaven? The appeal of artificial turf Is year round play and relatively low maintenance. The school district does not have the resources or staff to maintain a grass field. Meanwhile Sonoma County Parks does not have the resources or staff to maintain the existing soccer fields at
By lucky coincidence the mail delivered a flyer from Sonoma County Parks asking for input on how to spend $70 million from bond measure M. Reparing the fields at Ragle could be a good cause for all of the parties involved in this to get behind, rather than wasting yet more tax payer dollars on lawyers.
Of course, this would still not solve the problem of the Parks not having the resources to maintain the fields once they are built. The soccer club raised a chunk of money to refurbish one field at Ragle, but the field has not been correctly maintained and I wonder if it will be playable in a year or two. This would be ongoing General Fund money and the Parks are far down on the list of priorities at County budget time.
A note on field care — and our ( Sonoma County Parks and WESCO) ask for some grace.
The field we rebuilt has been a learning experience. Maintaining an organic field that also sees heavy use from day one is genuinely hard — those two things are in tension. But we're seeing progress ( hope you see it as well). The second-year growth after a real winter break, combined with some experiments on grass varieties, is helping the field mature and become more resilient. We're learning. We're adjusting. And we're committed to getting it right and there is no better problem than a well loved field.
Phill, is the soccer club responsible for maintaining the new field at Ragle? One of the biggest problems was the sprinkler system was not set up correctly. There were numerous little green islands surrounded by browned out grass, and the spray on other areas was not head to head.
Just a quick correction that WESCO uses all fields at Ragle rather heavily June through October. Ragle fields are closed Nov - May for the wet season and weasels. We have softened use on fields 3 and 4 ( upper south end) to recover naturally, but this intensifies use on field#2 which is combined with the softball field. We hope "field rotation" helps mellow the very significant valleys, ruts, and hills created by weather, animals, and humans.
I also walk my dogs down Washington and can't imagine how the neighbors can tolerate the noise level from the Brookhaven playing field. This should be an object lesson for the kids to help make them understand the need to be good, considerate neighbors in an increasingly crowded world.
How do you play sports and not get excited or "play quietly?" Here also is a place to understand that kids have no where else to play and need it in this world of devices, where there is also a beautiful community of families - and - while we can ask refs to use minimal whistles - ask parents to keep it down - make sure goals and kids do not kick towards a fence ---- it is play --- people will get excited ( like playing against a team from Oakland) and players need to shout to their teammate in the game to communicate. I'm not sure it can be put on the kids to be better neighbors. It is more on adults to work out the coexistence.
Oh goodness...I feel so terribly for the Goldins and anyone else affected by the noise. The outlined dB's truly sound intolerable. Your article mentioned that McDonagh said, “At present we have not received a volume of complaints from a variety of complainants that would indicate this is a widespread issue within the community.” Is there a way for me as a concerned Sebastopol citizen to file a complaint even if I'm not directly affected? This is an issue that could happen to any of us. Seems like the 'Fix' is to repair the Ragle soccer fields to reduce usage at Brook Haven. Thank you Rollie!
I appreciate this article. We walk our dogs along Washington and have wondered how the constant and high-volume screaming and shouting has affected the quality of life of those who live nearby the newish sport field. From a little distance, it is not an unpleasant background noise...but right next to it, for as much as that field is in play, it seems a big "ask" for the community to accept. The neighbors I have talked to have tried to have a positive and welcoming attitude. I wish they could have a break!
Last year we walked by Brookhaven and the teams streaming towards the school were from Oakland--I don't know if it was a play-off or if the field is just booked from teams well beyond the local community.
Looking at how the fence bordering the soccer field was destroyed by balls and kids reminded me of research I did years ago on noise reduction, as my property is bordered by a well-traveled road. There are methods available that the city or school should pay for since it is their noise that degrades neighboring property. It's not cheap but not exorbitant either. Check these sites to see what I am referring to.
https://www.thespruce.com/what-makes-a-good-noise-barrier-fence-2130907
https://outdoorfixes.com/how-to-soundproof-a-fence/
This is a very reasonable step to help mitigate sound travel and in our solutions thinking.
Was thinking the same thing. Higher fence with insulation between the sides. We have this in our backyard (minus the insulation) and border a hotel and it could be worse….
I am appalled by this story. Three things stand out. The 1.8 million dollars spent on a soccer field!!? Really, when budgets are so tight? Six fields lying fallow at Ragle? And the soccer organization turning a blind eye while enjoying the revenue provided by these public assets. Three institutional failures combined to create this miserable situation for the neighbors who pay the taxes and otherwise support these organizations. Common sense and courtesy require that these three institutions get together and solve it. Or it will end up in court. Finding/raising enough money to fix a few of the Ragle fields seems like a better solution and sets a better example for the kids.
To our Brookhaven neighbors — we hear you, and we want you to know: people are working hard on this. Brookhaven gets intense use — not just for soccer, but for all kinds of youth activity. That's not a failure of institutional planning. It's proof of need and the need exceeded expectations. Kids in this community need places to play, and right now there simply aren't enough of them.
WESCO is doing everything we can to change that: Ragle Fields — We're actively fundraising to rebuild the fields at Ragle Ranch. If you want to be part of the solution, you can donate here: https://www.sonomacountyparksfoundation.org/ragle-ranch-soccer-fields.html
-> New year-round fields — We've proposed temporary fields at the Sebastopol Hotel site as a bridge to a permanent home behind the Youth Annex on Morris Street. Year-round, all-weather fields are especially critical for higher-level play that currently has nowhere to go.
Brookhaven is overused because it works — it fills a gap that no other facility currently fills. The fact that families show up in such numbers is the whole argument for why we need more.
If you think there's an obvious solution we're missing, we genuinely want to hear it. In the meantime, we hope you'll see the packed fields not as a nuisance but as a community that loves its kids and is fighting to give them what they deserve. We thank you for your patience while we build something better. 🙏⚽
Gabrielle, Over a million to build a new artificial turf field does seem crazy but if you check it out, that's the going price. This was funded by the last school bond. I don't think the soccer club gets any revenue from a field at Brookhaven? The appeal of artificial turf Is year round play and relatively low maintenance. The school district does not have the resources or staff to maintain a grass field. Meanwhile Sonoma County Parks does not have the resources or staff to maintain the existing soccer fields at
Ragle. Chris
By lucky coincidence the mail delivered a flyer from Sonoma County Parks asking for input on how to spend $70 million from bond measure M. Reparing the fields at Ragle could be a good cause for all of the parties involved in this to get behind, rather than wasting yet more tax payer dollars on lawyers.
Of course, this would still not solve the problem of the Parks not having the resources to maintain the fields once they are built. The soccer club raised a chunk of money to refurbish one field at Ragle, but the field has not been correctly maintained and I wonder if it will be playable in a year or two. This would be ongoing General Fund money and the Parks are far down on the list of priorities at County budget time.
A note on field care — and our ( Sonoma County Parks and WESCO) ask for some grace.
The field we rebuilt has been a learning experience. Maintaining an organic field that also sees heavy use from day one is genuinely hard — those two things are in tension. But we're seeing progress ( hope you see it as well). The second-year growth after a real winter break, combined with some experiments on grass varieties, is helping the field mature and become more resilient. We're learning. We're adjusting. And we're committed to getting it right and there is no better problem than a well loved field.
Phill, is the soccer club responsible for maintaining the new field at Ragle? One of the biggest problems was the sprinkler system was not set up correctly. There were numerous little green islands surrounded by browned out grass, and the spray on other areas was not head to head.
No. We must work with the county and I believe we have corrected that issue.
Just a quick correction that WESCO uses all fields at Ragle rather heavily June through October. Ragle fields are closed Nov - May for the wet season and weasels. We have softened use on fields 3 and 4 ( upper south end) to recover naturally, but this intensifies use on field#2 which is combined with the softball field. We hope "field rotation" helps mellow the very significant valleys, ruts, and hills created by weather, animals, and humans.
I also walk my dogs down Washington and can't imagine how the neighbors can tolerate the noise level from the Brookhaven playing field. This should be an object lesson for the kids to help make them understand the need to be good, considerate neighbors in an increasingly crowded world.
How do you play sports and not get excited or "play quietly?" Here also is a place to understand that kids have no where else to play and need it in this world of devices, where there is also a beautiful community of families - and - while we can ask refs to use minimal whistles - ask parents to keep it down - make sure goals and kids do not kick towards a fence ---- it is play --- people will get excited ( like playing against a team from Oakland) and players need to shout to their teammate in the game to communicate. I'm not sure it can be put on the kids to be better neighbors. It is more on adults to work out the coexistence.
Oh goodness...I feel so terribly for the Goldins and anyone else affected by the noise. The outlined dB's truly sound intolerable. Your article mentioned that McDonagh said, “At present we have not received a volume of complaints from a variety of complainants that would indicate this is a widespread issue within the community.” Is there a way for me as a concerned Sebastopol citizen to file a complaint even if I'm not directly affected? This is an issue that could happen to any of us. Seems like the 'Fix' is to repair the Ragle soccer fields to reduce usage at Brook Haven. Thank you Rollie!
Anyone can file a complaint. It does matter who, how, why etc.
I appreciate this article. We walk our dogs along Washington and have wondered how the constant and high-volume screaming and shouting has affected the quality of life of those who live nearby the newish sport field. From a little distance, it is not an unpleasant background noise...but right next to it, for as much as that field is in play, it seems a big "ask" for the community to accept. The neighbors I have talked to have tried to have a positive and welcoming attitude. I wish they could have a break!
Last year we walked by Brookhaven and the teams streaming towards the school were from Oakland--I don't know if it was a play-off or if the field is just booked from teams well beyond the local community.