Neighbors want more parking at Little League field near LeBard Park

Residents of the neighborhood surrounding the Huntington Beach City School District headquarters pressed the city Planning Commission on Tuesday to devise a way to alleviate parking problems when the local Little League is using the baseball fields there.

During a study session, commissioners reviewed a school district plan to rezone the former LeBard Elementary School campus, at 20451 Craimer Lane, to allow 15 single-family homes. The plan also would retain the Seaview Little League Fields on the 9.7-acre property.

Though the project has been changed during the past seven years to please various affected parties, some nearby residents still are not satisfied with the parking situation. The district plans to convert a small section of LeBard Park, next to the campus, to 17 parking spaces.

Resident Kent Hayden and his neighbors suggested that open space west of the two large Little League fields be converted to a parking lot and that the space at LeBard Park be preserved.

“I like this [overall] plan. I think a lot of people have won here and a lot of people put their time in it,” Hayden said. “But the biggest no-brainer in this thing … is that 60 parking spots could be put back here, with the ingress and egress off of Cynthia [Drive].”

District Supt. Gregg Haulk said Wednesday that the district looked into converting that space for parking but that the idea was not well received by residents in the neighborhood or by the Little League.

Seaview Little League President Scott Dater said Wednesday that he opposes the idea because teams use the space for warm-ups and practice. He added that cars could be hit by home runs.

“Home runs are hit over those fences all the time,” he said. “You’re potentially looking at a high level of damage of parked cars there.”

Resident Ashley White told the Planning Commission that she is concerned about the amount of traffic going through the neighborhood and the risk of a child being injured by a car.

“I’ve literally lost sleep for three days as I was gathering my comments … over which child on Crailet [Drive] was going to be the first to get hurt,” she said.

In May 2014, the school district signed a memorandum of understanding with the city to keep the number of single-family homes in the project at 15.

The city is expected to pay the district about $3.17 million for the six Little League Fields, which span 6.2 acres. The city already owns the 3.1-acre LeBard Park.

The 3.5-acre former elementary school site would go up for bid should the city approve the project.

The district has been looking to sell the headquarters property since 2008. It plans to use the proceeds to repair the former Kettler Elementary School, at 8750 Dorsett Drive, which it would use as its new headquarters.

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the district’s project June 9.