About Sandy Motley Park
Who was Sandy Motley?
This time of year, many families visit soccer fields in northeast Davis near the corner of Pole Line Road and Moore Boulevard. The Nugget Fields are next to a soccer field and 5 acre park known as Sandy Motley Park.
The park is named after Sandy Motley who was a former Davis mayor, supporter of women's issues, outdoorswoman, wife, mother, and friend to many in Davis. Motley died in 1989 at the age of 62 while scuba diving.
Motley served on the Davis City Council from 1976 to 1984 and was mayor from 1980 to 1982. Her political career began many years before she joined the council and continued after she decided not to seek a third term in 1984.
Motley worked for many years to make the Davis community a better place to live, and supported a host of local and statewide organizations.
Motley was a founder of the Davis League of Women Voters, served for 6 years on the Davis Planning Commission, and spent 10 years on the Yolo County Planning Commission.
After leaving the council, she devoted much of her energy to helping women win elective office. She helped Anne Rudin, for example, run two successful campaigns for mayor of Sacramento.
In April of 1998, the Davis City Council decided to name the planned 5 acre park in the Wildhorse housing development after Motley. The park opened in 2000 and features a soccer field, a practice area for baseball and softball, a barbecue picnic area, a rain/shade structure, two playground areas with swings and sand, plus a court area for basketball.
Information for this story was generated in part from a January 25, 1999 Davis Enterprise story by Melanie Turner.
