Supervisors turn down plans for baseball complex

1:10 p.m.:

Stanislaus County supervisors narrowly rejected an east Modesto youth baseball complex this morning after neighbors predicted awful traffic, noise and bright lights.

At the end of a two-hour hearing, Supervisors Dick Monteith and Vito Chiesa said young people would benefit from Eastlake Baseball Academy’s three-diamond proposal on Parker Road, which turns into Briggsmore Avenue. The 6-month-old academy hoped to host tournaments after converting a little-used golf driving range into fields, an indoor training facility and diner.

But they were overruled by Supervisors Bill O’Brien, Jeff Grover and Jim DeMartini. O’Brien, who represents the area, said he can’t ignore pleas from farmers and neighbors, and DeMartini said the concept should be developed closer to major roads.

Plans for a youth baseball complex will take the field today against the peace and quiet of country living.

Eastlake Baseball Academy's instructors train promising young players in a south Modesto warehouse and send traveling teams to tournaments throughout California. They want to convert a little-used, 16-acre golf driving range into a three-diamond baseball complex east of Modesto, believing if they build it, elite teams will come.

But neighbors who treasure rural tranquility are fighting what they see as a field of bad dreams.

Neighbors prevailed when the two sides first met in August, convincing Stanislaus County planning commissioners that Eastlake's bright lights, cheering fans and up to 200 vehicles per day would spoil a rural hamlet on Parker Road, which turns into Briggsmore Avenue.

But the 5-2 Planning Commission vote was hardly a shutout, so Eastlake appealed. Calling today's game will be the county's Board of Supervisors. The project is just outside Modesto's sphere of influence.

Eastlake, a 6-month-old academy hoping to produce future big leaguers, wants to build a 6,000-square-foot indoor training center, a 2,500-square-foot concession diner and a 165-space parking lot in addition to the three fields.

"This program helps youth stay on the right path and out of trouble," wrote Jennifer Zuniga, whose boys play for the Eastlake Titans. Several other parents penned letters of support, praising coaches and predicting that visiting teams would provide an economic shot in the arm.

"There are not currently enough baseball fields to accommodate the various recreational and travel teams in our area," wrote David and Tina Reed.

The county's planning staff agreed that the fields would not pose significant environmental change and recommended approval.

But neighbors mounted fierce opposition, saying Parker cannot support more traffic and predicting that ballfield lights could harm wildlife in nearby Dry Creek. Many enjoy peaceful nights and weekends in the country, which aren't affected by the few golfers who are long gone before sunset. Baseball activity reaches a peak on nights and weekends, they said.

Rafael Muñoz and Rosa Martin said they suffered through loud music, vandalism and fights from a park across the street from their South San Francisco home before escaping to a home near the driving range. Others said their property values would go down.

Eldon Kidd fears that kids might try to retrieve foul balls from the adjacent pasture, home to his big bulls. Nets haven't kept out errant golf balls, he told planners.

Planners who predicted a "less than significant (environmental) impact must be evaluating the project from seats in 1010 10th St.," wrote Robert Farrace, referring to the county administration building. He predicted harm to owls, raccoons, Swainson's hawks and kit foxes.

In their appeal, David Butz and Chris Oar disputed that the complex would affect nearby farming or create significant traffic. Planning commissioners caved in to "emotional and exaggerated statements of the ranchette owners," the applicants wrote.

Also, "the financial viability of the project should not be a reason for denying the project," Butz and Oar said.

The complex would welcome only baseball and not softball, the applicants said.

While discussing Eastlake's proposal, some planning commissioners noted that driving ranges can be turned into farmland easily, but not a baseball complex with more than an acre of pavement.

The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors will meet at 9 a.m. today in the basement chamber of Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St., Modesto.

Bee staff writer Garth Stapley can be reached at gstapley@modbee.com or 578-2390.