Despite having their request for a review by Sechelt council rebuffed, the Sunshine Coast Men’s Fastball Association remains hopeful it will be back at Hackett Park.
The association was told earlier this year that it would not be allowed to book the fields at the downtown park because the district had safety concerns, and they’ve been trying to get the decision overturned.
Association representative Mike Fawcus told Coast Reporter this week that with their season set to start next month, they have gone ahead and scheduled games at Kinnikinnick Park.
“We have not conceded our attempts to stay at Hackett,” Fawcus said, “and hope that if Kinnikinnick remains less suited for our league, that [Sechelt] will accommodate our organization and allow us to return to Hackett Park.”
The central issue is whether there is any danger to people or property as a result of the potential for balls to leave the park during games, concerns the district says have not come up with the other groups using the ball diamonds.
“For the past several years the District has received complaints from citizens regarding foul balls that have hit cars and had near misses with people,” Sechelt’s communications manager Julie Rogers said.
“District staff consulted with the Municipal Insurance Association regarding the foul balls and were advised to move the players to a park with less pedestrian and vehicle traffic in close proximity to the diamond to avoid injury and liability.”
Association representatives and district staff met to discuss the issues on March 12, and there’s been a steady exchange of email since.
In one such exchange between Fawcus and parks manager Perry Schmitt, which was included in a council agenda, Schmitt outlined one concern raised by a neighbourhood resident.
“Just yesterday a lady called to thank us for moving the ball team. Her windshield was broken last year and she couldn’t afford to have it fixed. She also said she is afraid to go outside when you are playing,” Schmitt wrote. “We really don’t want our citizens to be afraid to go outside their own homes. The very practical solution is to move the team.”
Mayor Bruce Milne replied to the association’s request for a council review on March 30, saying council supported the staff decision and would not overturn it.
“I would agree that the process could have been improved – in terms of earlier consultation, more comprehensive involvement of those impacted and more time to implement a transition to Kinnikinnick,” Milne wrote. “But, the process was not fundamentally flawed. Nor does it appear that the policy framework requires change.”
The association tried again last week to convince council to intervene.
“This is not an unreasonable request, especially considering that the single incident cited by staff – a broken windshield of a neighbors’ car – has since in fact been discovered to not have been caused by our league, during one of our games, or at one of our scheduled field times,” Fawcus wrote in an email to mayor and council. “It would appear that our organization has been unfairly singled out, and impacted by a unilaterally made decision.”
In her comments to Coast Reporter this week, Rogers said: “We recognize the love of Hackett Park by the players and fans, however, the District must balance this with the safety of the community.”
