PRSR AGENDA MEMO 02-14-1996 - Laserfiche WebLink

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SAINT PAUL PIONEER PRESS MONDAY,JANUARY 29, 1996 Cma SUBURBS • • ball fields could relieve demand • Mendota Heights fields — such as the one at Grass vice community park with four studies options for Junior High — are out of commis- ball fields laid out in a pinwheel sion for construction. design, with all four home bases in growing leagues "We are experiencing a ball- the center of the field. Lights to field availability crisis," Batcheld- flood that area with sufficient DON AHERN STAFF WRITER er said. "We have more users than brightness for adult softball would ball fields. There are about 1,200 cost from $150,000 to $250,000, Ito 1,400 youths in the city's Little Batchelder said. Is night softball at Mendakota League programs, both boys and One of the considerations is how Park worth laying out as much as girls from T-ball to baseball and those lights will affect nearby res- $250,000 for lighting the playing softball traveling teams. And as idential areas to the south and fields? And if so, who should pay far as the adult leagues go, we west, even though the city would for it? have 400 to 500 adult players." require that the lights be turned Those are questions that Mendo- There are seven adult softball off by 10 p.m. to Heights' elected and appointed fields in Mendota Heights. Eight officials will be wrestling 'With neighborhood parks have Little "We are experiencing over the next few weeks. League-size fields, he added. g The Parks and Recreation Corn- One option might be to acquire a ball-field mission will get a staff analysis of new ball fields, but it takes 10 availability crisis." options Feb. 13, the same day it's acres to build a youth complex, scheduled to make a recommenda- Batchelder said. "In Mendota KEVIN BATC;HELDER tion to the Mendota Heights City Heights we are approaching build- CITY ADMINISTRATOR Council. The council will decide out," which means there's little Feb. 20 what to do with the park undeveloped property left, he said. The city passed a $3.4 million at Dodd Road and Mendakota Although lighting is costly, it referendum in 1989 to develop the I Drive. would actually be cheaper to light softball program and existing The problem,said city adminis- existing fields than to buy new fields. trator Kevin Batchelder, is that fields,.he added. Lights would al- "We will probably not use pub- the city's 4-year-old adult softball low adult teams to play later at lie funds again," Batchelder said. leagues are growing faster than night, freeing up daylight time for "We're looking at other sources the availability of playing fields. Little League teams. such as the special park fund (ac- 1 And a few of the 38 fields in Men- "That would allow us to more 'cumulated from subdivision devel- dota Heights and surrounding ar- fully utilize existing fields," opment fees), user fees, or contri- eas that have been used in the past Batchelder said. butions from the leagues or public will no longer be available. Some Mendakota Park is a full-ser- at large." •