ball field

The need of a field for a growing Porterville baseball club and the availability of recreational facilities in the community has come to a head.

A number of individuals who use Zalud Park have raised concerns about a portion of the park being leased to the Porterville Angels Baseball Club, PABC. Those who have raised concerns stress they have no issue with PABC seeking Zalud Park to meet its needs.

But they say the agreement the club and the city has reached that was approved by the Porterville City Council as part of its consent calendar still raises issues when it comes to access to what’s supposed to be a public park. The agreement between PABC and the city provides PABC exclusive use of the ball field it has developed at Zalud Park for three years.

Those involved in PABC and players in the club spent considerable time over the past few months to develop a ball field at the park. PABC held its opening day for the ball field on Sunday.

But there are individuals who use the park who say the field is cutting off much of the public’s access and ability to use what’s supposed to be a public park.

Those who have been most affected by the ball park are disc golf players who try to use the nine-hole disc golf course at Zalud Park. The ball field encroaches on several holes disc golf players try to use at the park and there have been individuals climbing the fence of the ball field to retrieve frisbees. There have also been individuals climbing the fence to retrieve softballs and baseballs as well.

The city also entered into an agreement in the recent past for Porterville Little League to use a 50/70 field at Zalud Park in which the bases were a distance of 70 feet and the distance of the pitching mound to home plate was 50 feet. Porterville Little League eventually stopped its use of the field.

Those who have raised concerns about the agreement with PABC said it’s one thing to allow an organization such as Little League use of the park but it’s not appropriate for a portion of a public park to be leased to a private organization such as PABC.

In the past there have been two ball fields at Zalud Park, a north and south field. But recent use of what’s now the current Porterville Little League and PABC have significantly encroached on the north field, effectively leaving the PABC field as the only one at Zalud Park.

Another group that has been affected by the PABC field is a Senior Softball Group in the community who uses Zalud Park. But Porterville City Parks and Leisure Services Director Donnie Moore said representatives from disc golf and the senior softball club were consulted and they raised no concerns.

“After speaking with representatives of the two most consistent user groups of the northern section of the park, the senior softball group and disc golfers, neither had any issues,” Moore said.

More added with input of disc golfers a few disc golf holes on the north side of the park are being considered to be relocated farther away from the PABC field. The City of Porterville also offers a nine-hole disc golf course at Murry Park and there’s a disc golf course at Bartlett Park as well.

Moore said disc golf holes may also be added to the city’s property on Henry Street just to the north of Murry Park when that property becomes an extension of Murry Park.

Moore said PABC has had as many as four Little League teams that played 50/70. It’s been suggested PABC could use one of the two softball fields at the Porterville Sports Complex.

But Moore said that’s not an option as those fields “are easily the most reserved fields in the city’s reservation system with multiple youth and adult softball and baseball leagues playing there throughout the year.”

Moore said a baseball field at the Sports Complex in the future is a possibility. The city has also received a $7.8 million grant for the development of a recreation center and park at Fourth and Henderson. Moore said that facility will help deal with the needs that are placed on such parks in the community as Zalud Park.

But those who have expressed concern state they’re concerned with precedent that has been set by leasing a portion of a public park to a private organization.

Mark Wright, who plays tennis at Zalud Park, notes the tennis courts at Zalud Park are the city’s only public tennis courts. “Maybe I can lease the tennis courts,” Wright said.

Wright, though, also said he really had no problem with PABC. “I can’t be upset with them,” he said. He added if the club’s able to enter into an agreement with the city, “then kudos to them.”

He also said he was involved in traveling baseball clubs as well and understands how difficult it is to find fields. He admitted if the clubs he was involved in could have done what PABC did, “we might have done it.” But he added, “I don’t think that would have made it right.”

He went on to say it’s not appropriate to lease “one acre in the middle of the park in the middle of the city” that’s supposed to be for the public to a private organization.