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Planned baseball park divides nearby residents
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Anonymous user Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:45:02 PDT
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0 responses 0 comments Aera Park, a planned 40-acre youth baseball facility at Stockdale Highway and Jewetta Avenue, has run into opposition from neighbors, led by former Bakersfield Planning Commission member Jim Redstone, who lives in Brighton Parks, a gated subdivision for people 55-and-older across Jewetta Avenue from the park. But City Councilman David Couch said the park has been a done deal for years, long before anyone moved into Brighton Parks. Redstone, who was a planning commissioner in the early 1980s, said he sees inevitable conflict between the youth-oriented baseball complex and the residents of Brighton Parks. Other residents, like Virginia Dallas-Dull, support the planned park location and see it as a positive contribution to the area. Here they elaborate on their positions.

Sensational attention
unwarranted
It’s a Little League park not a stadium! Controversy attracts attention. Of particular interest to me is the fact that some of my Brighton Parks neighbors continue to fight the long established location of the Area Little League Baseball Park on the corner of Jewetta Avenue and Stockdale Highway. My angry neighbors are few. Most are concerned yet open-minded. Had residents simply asked real estate personnel what was planned for that corner, they would have known and could have purchased a home elsewhere. Plans for that corner have been public for years.
Thank you to David Couch and our city council for standing firm on this issue. Southwest Little League is made up of families who model healthy choices for children. 
As Yogi Berra said, “Little League is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets.”  
Today, Little League is more. It addresses progressive skill building, childhood obesity, parent involvement, self discipline, and complex strategizing. The organization is impressive, and the games are good fun.
My responses to stated concerns:
1. Noise — The games are quiet. There are no loud speakers, wild crowds or out of control children/teens. Being a structured organization, Little League staggers games so the only people on a field are coaches, team members, umpires and spectators who are there for that particular game. 
2. Lights — Games usually end before dark. Lights are necessary only on the rare occasions on selected fields. Little Leaguers have to go to school in the morning and their parents have to work.
3. Inconvenience — The timing of games is predictable: day, time, and season. We can work around them.
4. Usage — Seasons are short, spring ball and fall ball. Most of the time fields are vacant.
5. Congestion — The traffic signal at the corner of Wincanton and Jewetta will regulate traffic. There’s always Bakersfield Police Department backup if problems arise.
6. Trash — Little League attracts responsible families who participate in their children’s development, respect the rights of others, and clean up after themselves.
7.  Aesthetics — With numerous trees, a pond, and a berm planned Aera Park is environmentally friendly and will certainly reduce the dust level.
8. Parking — Little League encourages carpooling. The city has assured us that parking is adequate for the majority of games. During championship games participants may have to use adjacent lots south of Brighton Park.
9. Incompatibility — Some say senior citizens and youth are incompatible. Most of us recognize that being around young people makes us feel youthful. I personally know seniors who go to the games just for fun.
10.  Attitude: “Not in my backyard” — Southwest Little League personifies the best that organized youth sports have to offer.  We need to embrace our new neighbors with a can-do spirit.
I believe that the Area Park will enhance our neighborhood and brighten our future.
— Virginia Dallas-Dull

Park incompatible with
existing residential areas
Thanks for the opportunity to express my opinion regarding the proposed Aera 400-acre recreation area planned for the northeast corner of Stockdale Highway and Jewetta Road.
Apparently the city of Bakersfield acquired the above referenced 40-acre parcel with funds from a reclamation agency grant sometime in 2001. A condition of this grant was to restrict this area to “open space” for percolation and recharge purposes during “wet years.”
I strenuously object to the placement of a major recreational project, i.e. 11 baseball diamonds, a snack bar, 70-foot light standards, stadium bleachers, etc. directly across the street from the Brighton Parks Community, and age-restricted (55 or older) development for the following reasons:
1. The proposed ball park is inconsistent and incompatible with the existing residential areas surrounding the proposed project.
2. There were no public hearings six years ago when this area was acquired or recently after the baseball complex was approved by the city of Bakersfield. A public hearing may not have been required, but would have been the right thing to do.
3. Why was this proposed baseball park approved and public hearing not held prior to entering into an  agreement with the Southwest Baseball organization, Aera, and the city of Bakersfield? This agreement was approved by these organizations in April — well after the establishment of the Brighton Parks and Brighton Estates Communities.
4. As currently proposed, the only point of ingress and egress to both Brighton Parks and the baseball park is at Wincanton Drive and Jewetta Road. Even though signalized, can you imagine 11 baseball fields with a minimum of 18 players each all converging for a 6 p.m. game through one point of entry directly across from the only entry to your home?
5 As currently proposed, a third base line would be approximately 200 feet from houses in Brighton Park and less than 100 feet from a major street (Jewetta Road). There is distinct danger of traffic or homes being hit by foul balls. This by itself constitutes poor planning. A high fence or other barriers would be unsightly and landscaping can’t provide a sufficient barrier to prevent balls from entering the street area.
6. The additional noise, dust, traffic, light, restricted access, and litter are reasons enough to find a more suitable site for this worthy project. It’s just not fair to saddle the Brighton communities with a use incompatible with the area and therefore, should not be allowed.
A quote in The Bakersfield Californian on July 16 referred to this project as “a done deal.” Contracts have been signed. I might remind Mr. Couch that the proposed federal courthouse at Stockdale Highway and Buena Vista Road was a “done deal” until someone spoke up and said we need a federal courthouse but not next to  the adjacent residential neighborhood. As stated previously: great project, wrong location! Let’s work together to relocate this sports facility in the right location! Panama and Ashe roads comes to mind.
If this project was to go forward at this location, a minimum setback from the Jewetta Road easterly right of way line to any ballpark diamond should be at least 200 to 250 feet. The proposed 11 diamonds should also be reduced to six or eight diamonds to accommodate additional setback area. The additional setback would mitigate some of the concerns, although the restricted access, litter, dust, etc. will always be a problem.
— Jim Redstone

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