Residents urge city: Reject ball fields plan
The lessees of ball fields in Rollingwood’s upper park engaged urged the City Council on March 21 to reject a new park master plan.
Members of the Western Hills Little League and Western Hills Girls Softball, organizations that say they were granted use of Rollingwood Park ball fields in the warranty deed establishing the park, voiced concern that the city’s proposed park master plan offers space for other sports at the cost of possibly eliminating their intended use of the fields.
“The deed clearly establishes an intent to use the park for organized youth sports, particularly baseball and softball,” said Victor Alcorta, the father of a Western Hills softball player.
Nudge Design was hired by the city to develop a park master plan and unveiled a 50-page proposal during the commission’s meeting March 1. Under the proposed plan, the park’s Field 2 may no longer be regulation size and instead include removable bases and changeable fencing that would allow the area to transition into fields for other sports, said Alderwoman Wendi Hundley, a former parks commission member.
By warranty deed, the city acquired the property from the Optimist Club of Western Hills in May 1993, with the conveyance document that restricts the tract “to park and recreational purposes consistent with the use of a portion of the property for four baseball/softball fields which may be converted to a football/soccer field, which athletic fields may be combination or multi-use fields and which may be improved, reconstructed, relocated or reconfigured as determined by (the city of Rollingwood) in its sole discretion.”
Mayor Thom Farrell said the city paid $250,000 in 1993 to buy the tract from the Optimist Club, a very big part of the city’s budget. The funds for the transaction came from proceeds Rollingwood had been awarded in a lawsuit settlement, Farrell said. Through citizen workdays and community involvement, the park was improved, and the city signed a lease with Western Hills Little League for use of the ball fields, he said.
“When we bought that (park property), we did have a restriction as to our usage that was built into our deed, and I would ask that you look very carefully at that before we make any changes,” Farrell said.
Other residents and park users said the Rollingwood Park fields are the only fenced ball fields in the Eanes school district for baseball and softball and are needed to serve the Rollingwood community. Western Hills members said their groups maintain the park and maintenance will be on the town citizens should they not be able to continue using the park for their sports.
“(My family) talks about how you go to other fields, and they are always by a train tracks or a highway,” Little League board member David Schmidt said. “This is a special place. It’s in a park. It’s quiet. So many people on the team can walk to practice. It’s a very important thing that you have here, and I hope you will not let it go away. Please keep all of the fields.”
Parks commission members are providing feedback on the plan and will meet in April or May to review the draft with plan comments incorporated into the document, said Commission Member Amy Pattillo.