Diamond dreams in Neerlandia

BARRHEAD - A Neerlandia group is one step closer to having a community softball diamond for the hamlet.

On Sept. 19, County of Barrhead councillors approved a request to use a parcel of municipally-owned land they purchased but did not need to upgrade the Neerlandia lagoons for a softball/baseball field.

The group believes the parcel could accommodate a diamond of roughly 300 by 300 feet.

The one caveat is that the municipality can negotiate a use agreement with the Neerlandia Sports Committee before the municipality gives its final approval.

In May, Neerlandia County Softball, via a letter, asked councillors if they could transform the property, with the municipality's help, into a softball/baseball diamond, saying there was pent-up demand and not enough fields available in the area to play the sports.

The group stated that previously, area softball and baseball teams would use the Neerlandia Public Christian School (NPCS) grounds, but after the construction of the new school, which decreased the size of the two diamonds so much that they were suitable only for the youngest ages.

However, councillors were concerned about the potential provincial regulations, most notably by Alberta Environment and Parks and Alberta Transportation, of having a recreation facility located so close to a wastewater facility and instructed administration at the June 20 council meeting to investigate to clarify the requirements to receive a variance between the would-be-diamond and the wastewater lagoon.

At the time, county manager Debbie Oyarzun said that a section of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), specifically 'subdivision and development', states that a development authority shall not issue a development permit for a school, hospital, or residence within 300 metres of the working area of an operating wastewater treatment facility, but did not specifically mention outdoor recreation facilities.

The diamond would be roughly 40 metres from the working lagoon.

"[Alberta Environment and Parks] have indicated that a ball diamond does not fall within the legislation, and therefore, council has the authority to decide whether it is an appropriate use," she said, adding if council opted to proceed, they would need an Alberta Transportation roadside development permit.

Site suitability and risks

Oyarzun said the site was easily accessible via Highway 769, and they could create a suitable parking area. However, there were several potential nuisance issues for users of a future baseball diamond and area residents.

The first, she said, was the odour.

Unfortunately, Oyarzun said there wasn't much anyone could do about that. Still, several councillors, as the group itself, said it would be an issue in many areas, adding that the current baseball fields are close to an intensive chicken operation.

She added that the noise from the diamond could be an issue for nearby residents.

"But the majority of the activities would be taking place in what is considered in the quiet time of our noise bylaw," Oyarzun said. 

The other potential nuisance issue, she said, would be the potential for increased traffic.

Reeve Doug Drozd interjected that he believed Alberta Transportation would address any traffic issues when they conducted a traffic study.

Oyarzun added that the other concerns are safety-related; most notably, the municipality needed to consider liability issues and the potential for drowning but said the latter would be mitigated by a six-foot fence surrounding the lagoon.

She also noted that they would need to place additional signage on the fence and the gate to the lagoon stating the dangers and that entrance was prohibited.

"We would also want to make sure we place the diamond where it wouldn't interfere with highway traffic and minimize conflict between [sewer haulers] and passenger vehicles coming to play ball," Oyarzun said.

She added the final step would be entering a user agreement with the Neerlandia Sports Committee.

Oyarzun explained that the agreement needs to be with an official non-profit organization.

"Neerlandia County Softball, while they work closely with the Sports Committee, with many of the same members, it is more of a club than an official not-for-profit society," she said.

Unfortunately, Oyarzun said the request came too soon to use the county's Parks and Open Spaces Master Plan, which is still in the initial stages.

"A vital piece of the project is getting input on how residents use or want to use our open spaces and if there are any gaps in any particular areas that we need to consider," she said. "The request is exactly what we would ask as part of the master plan."

Administration then outlined three options for councillors' consideration, from rejecting the plan outright to rejecting the site and working with the group and the sports committee for an alternate location or accepting their request.

The two simplest options, Oyarzun said, would be acceptance or rejecting it outright, as finding an alternate location would be difficult and costly, as all the available property is private and, for the most part, is prime farmland.

Coun. Ron Kleinfeldt asked who would be responsible for maintaining the facility.

In their letter, Neerlandia County Softball stated that they intended for the community members, including local businesses, to procure the necessary materials and construct the ball diamond, with the county providing work-in-kind, such as heavy equipment needed to prepare the site.

Oyarzun also said she believed the group intended to maintain the grounds as well, adding those details would need to be spelt out in the user agreement before the municipality gave its final approval.

Coun. Walter Preugschas asked about the insurance requirements for the county, the Neerlandia Sports Committee, and Neerlandia County Softball.

Oyarzun said the municipality would need liability insurance for the facility as they owned the property, and the community groups would need insurance covering their players.

Coun. Paul Properzi asked about camping on the site, saying he had heard from residents stating they are concerned that people will camp there. 

"If you look at any weekend ball tournament, people are always camped there," he said.

Oyarzun replied that they could stipulate that camping would not be allowed as a condition in the use agreement.

"There are other campgrounds nearby," she said.

Reeve Doug Drozd agreed, jokingly suggesting the Neerlandia Co-op parking lot.

Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com