Banner ball-field decision expected

Deirdre Newman

Sponsorship banners for baseball and softball teams can hang freely

on public ball fields but must face away from nearby homes if the

City Council passes a law tonight regulating the banners.

The proposed law requires a permit to hang banners on public

baseball and softball fields, and the banners could only be displayed

on fields’ outfield fence, facing the field.

The council is considering the law in response to complaints from

the Mesa Verde Villa Homeowners Assn. that banners at California

Elementary and TeWinkle Intermediate schools make the area less

attractive.

An attorney representing the homeowners association, Dirk Petchul,

refused to comment on the issue.

But Brent Mazur, the players’ representative for Costa Mesa

National Little League, said he is relieved the city is defining the

rules. The proposed law addresses issues with banners that are not in

the city code.

“[If] it’s defined, we don’t have to worry that our Little

Leaguers are blighting anyone’s property,” Mazur said. “They can just

get out there, play ball and have fun.”

Under the ordinance, field users defined as nonprofits that

partner with the city must have at least 90% residents and open

registration, regardless of skill level, and provide an “everyone

plays” philosophy to get a permit to hang banners on public fields.

Other regulations include requirements that the banners not exceed 32

square feet and be tautly fastened to the outfield fence by at least

four contact points.

When homeowners first raised the appearance issue last summer,

leagues started taking the banners down after every game and putting

them up again for the next game. Under the proposed law, banners

would be allowed to hang during the entire baseball and softball

seasons as long as they are removed within seven days of the seasons’

close.

That sounds good to Mazur.

“I think it’s great we can leave them up for the whole season,” he

said. “That’s what our sponsors give us the money for -- so they can

be seen like in any old-time ballpark, minor league games and the

Little League World Series. That’s what baseball’s about and always

has been.”

Mayor Gary Monahan said he thought the proposed law represented

too much government meddling.

“They’ve had banners for 30 years or more -- they’ve been doing it

since I was a little kid,” Monahan said. “I may support it if that’s

what it takes, but it’s a lot of time spent over a very trivial

issue.”

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers government. She may be reached at (949)

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