Lafayette council affirms PTR direction to alter Cheney infield amid Fair Play Act compliance concerns

Lafayette — The City Council voted Oct. 21 to affirm the Parks, Trails & Recreation commission’s direction to staff on Cheney/Buckeye Fields, moving to implement the option staff identified as necessary to address compliance concerns under AB 2404, the state Fair Play Act.

The action follows an extended public hearing that drew 39 speaker slips and more than two hours of testimony from youth softball players, parents, volunteer coaches and college athletes. Speakers on many sides urged a long-term plan for additional fields and turf, but the council said it must respond now to legal and equity risks identified by staff and the city attorney.

Why it matters: AB 2404 requires substantially equal playing opportunities at publicly owned facilities. City staff and the city attorney advised the council that the current allocation of playable infields raised compliance risks. The council’s vote directs staff to proceed with the PTR-endorsed steps (staff called it Option 1) to alter the Cheney infield surface so it can be used for regulation softball and thereby help correct disparities in on‑site access.

What staff…