Play It Again: Healdsburg Considers Renewing Prune Packer Ballpark Deal

HEALDSBURG, CA — The Healdsburg Prune Packers are poised to iron out an agreement that would keep them playing in their current home-base.

Healdsburg Parks and Recreation Commissioners will review the terms, question how the deal allocates public space, and debate the balance between community access and team operations before sending a formal recommendation to City Council members.

The item was on the April 8 Parks and Recreation agenda, but was postponed after the meeting was cancelled.

The proposed agreement would allow the Prune Packers to continue using Recreation Park for their summer season while outlining expectations for scheduling, maintenance, and public use.

City staff describe the proposal as an effort to clarify roles and ensure the city retains oversight of a heavily used public asset.

In addition to the Prune Packers Baseball Club, Recreation Park hosts youth and adult sports, including Healdsburg High School baseball and football programs, Healdsburg Little League, the Redwood Empire Baseball League, and the Rio Linda Academy Baseball — as well as the Future Farmers Country Fair, according to a city staff report.

Healdsburg staff also manage several multi-use spaces—including Recreation Park, the Abel De Luna Community Center, the Plaza, City parking lots, and the Foley Family Community Pavilion—and routinely creates longer-term agreements when organizations host recurring events at these sites, according to a city staff report.

The agreement clarifies expectations for both the city and event organizers, while guiding how the spaces are used over time.

Examples include arrangements for the Future Farmers Country Fair at Recreation Park, the Healdsburg Certified Farmers Market, which moved from the West Plaza parking lot to the Foley Pavilion, and the Bloodroot Ramble Music Festival at the Abel De Luna Community Center, according to a city staff report.

The agenda item puts forward a comparable multi-year agreement with the Prune Packers to govern their use of Recreation Park across upcoming seasons.

Commissioners are expected to review how the agreement addresses field availability for local programs, upkeep responsibilities, and the broader public benefit associated with hosting a popular regional team.

The discussion could shape whether the deal moves forward unchanged, returns for revisions, or faces conditions before reaching the council.The review comes as the Prune Packers continue to draw strong attendance and regional attention, increasing both the value—and the pressure—on shared recreational space.

City staffing has increased to 35-40 hours per week during the Prune Packers’ season (June through early August). This represents the most staff hours committed on an ongoing basis to any of the City’s parks, according to a city staff report. By comparison, during the spring baseball and fall football season, the city's commitment to Recreation Park totals about 20 hours per week.

Tonight’s meeting marks the first formal public step in the approval process, with the city council holding final authority over whether to adopt the agreement.