Trees not a part of baseball field plan

Deirdre Newman

No trees will be sacrificed in the city’s decision to expand the

softball fields at TeWinkle Park.

The City Council voted 4 to 1 on Monday to expand only one of the

fields, without taking out any trees. Councilman Mike Scheafer

dissented.

The result is a 180-degree shift from its earlier decision to

expand the three softball fields and remove 42 mature trees.

Councilman Chris Steel, on behalf of the Mesa del Mar Homeowners’

Assn., appealed that decision. Last month, the Parks and Recreation

Commission came up with a new plan that would have taken out 34

trees.

But many residents of the Mesa del Mar neighborhood, which is

directly north of the park, were not satisfied with a plan that saved

only eight trees.

They expressed joy at the decision.

“They listened to us, and I’m very pleased they came to this

conclusion,” Mesa del Mar resident Jeff Wilcox said. “I believe the

park has been preserved the best it can.”

The council is considering the softball fields’ expansion in the

larger context of the TeWinkle Park Athletic Complex Upgrade.

In April, the council expressed concern about an expansion design

that called for the outfield fences to be only 250 feet from home

plate.

In July, the council expanded those dimensions. In addition to

taking out the 42 trees, this plan would have required the removal of

a picnic shelter and concrete walkways.

The TeWinkle Park Athletic Complex is intended to serve men’s,

women’s and coed play. Recreation staff found that, according to rule

books for these groups, they are best served by outfield fence lines

that are up to 315 feet from home plate for men, 275 feet for women

and 300 feet for coed play.

After Steel’s appeal, the council granted a rehearing in August.

As it went through the loop again, the Parks and Recreation

commission approved a plan that combined the recreation staff’s

attempt to reduce the amount of trees eliminated with the council’s

previous action. That proposal called for removing 34 trees.

After a study session last week, recreation staff proposed another

plan that would have expanded the northeast field and taken out nine

trees. On Monday, Mayor Gary Monahan supported this proposal, but

suggested that three more trees be taken out to make the field even

more competitive.

Ultimately, Councilwoman Libby Cowan suggested an option that

combined part of the recreation staff’s newest proposal and the

council’s original plan. Cowan’s proposal called for keeping the

southwest and northeast fields basically at 250 feet from home plate.

The northwest field would be expanded to 267 feet in left field, 280

feet in center field, and 262 feet in right field.

“I appreciate [Monahan’s] interest in the larger field, but I also

believe just the elements of repairing and redoing our fields will

return players to Costa Mesa,” Cowan said.

Some softball players who spoke during public comment agreed.

“I played in Costa Mesa until the fields got so bad I couldn’t

play here,” Terry Ewen said. “I would love to see the fields

renovated.”

During the discussion, Scheafer said that some of the trees that

would have been eliminated serve no purpose and that the northeast

field needed a longer outfield because of the wind direction.

There is about $2 million available for the athletic complex

improvements.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.