The location the city has in mind for a new fire hall is putting the Prince George Youth Baseball Association on edge.
A site in Carrie Jane Gray Park, just east of the YMCA, is being considered, and while the fire hall itself would border Massey Drive, the plan also calls for a training ground immediately to the south, at a spot currently occupied by one of the PGYBA's diamonds.
"We're not happy," PGYBA president Carmen Martin said Friday. "We've had a 35 per cent increase in registration over the last two years and expect an increase again this year.
"We had to borrow fields from the College Heights Community Association last year in order to fit all of our kids throughout the regular [season]. We go seven days a week."
She said staff gave her the heads up about the city's intention prior to budget talks this week.
"They've assured us we may be able to use that park for a year but after that they haven't really given us an alternate plan as to what that's going to look like. We've already been asking for more fields."
Martin's preference is a fourplex of fields, "like what's up at Heather Park but more centrally located."
City parks and solid waste manager Sean LeBrun noted the city is in the midst of developing a ball diamond and sport field strategy. It will include an assessment of each field in terms of both condition and use.
He suggested some compromises will have to be made.
"I think they have eight or nine fields so they certainly have the capacity to move things around a little bit but we do have some other fields that are underutilized as well," LeBrun said.
It may mean traveling out to the Hart, Blackburn and College Heights and holding games and practices at less than the prime time hours of Monday to Thursday evenings, he suggested.
"Some of them aren't up to the standards that youth baseball might not be used to so there might be some work required on our part," LeBrun added.
There still is some time to sort things out.
"It could be two years before it's actually built from when it's actually approved," LeBrun said. "It takes to time to get things rolling so that would give us time to look at alternate sites."
