THOUSAND OAKS : Baseball Diamond May Be Scaled Down

After eight years of bickering over the fate of a troublesome baseball diamond at Thousand Oaks’ Fiore Field, nearby homeowner Austin Schoenfeld will have to wait a little longer until park officials decide how to stop wayward baseballs from flying into his back yard.

At the request of the Little League, Conejo Valley Recreation and Park District officials have agreed to study a proposal to scale down Diamond 1 instead of removing it completely, as planned by the district.

During its meeting Thursday night, the board asked Parks and Planning Division Administrator Fletcher Friedman to gather estimates on how much it would cost to modify the full-sized diamond.

The board took the action after Russell Manthey, Conejo Valley Little League secretary, said the small diamond could be used for the Little League “Challenger” program for handicapped children.

Because the diamond would only be about 120 feet long, it would be too small for adults to use, virtually solving the wayward ball problem, he said. It is believed that adults are hitting most of the balls into Schoenfeld’s yard.

For lack of a better alternative, the park board voted earlier this year to spend about $45,000 to close Diamond 1.

Park officials said they will meet with Schoenfeld to discuss the alternative.

Schoenfeld could not be reached for comment.