Hazardous baseball field gets upgrade

By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer

The home field for Roosevelt High's baseball team is considered the worst on O'ahu. It's so bad that visiting players worry about getting injured during games.

The Roosevelt High School baseball team practices and plays on the grounds of Stevenson Middle School in Makiki. The field and facilities will get a $1-million upgrade starting next month. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

What the field has going for it is a lot of enthusiasm from the players, volunteer support from parents and school staff who maintain the field — and now a $1 million state commitment to make it a better place to play.

Karen Shimabuku had two sons who played baseball for Roosevelt, and even though they have graduated, she continues to volunteer for cleanup projects and comes to games to support the team. She said the state's renovation project, which begins next month, is long overdue.

"It is one of the worst fields in the state," Shimabuku said. "Some baseball scouts have mentioned how bad it is. There are a lot of holes and the players could hurt themselves."

The field's poor condition is the result of years of neglect caused by muddled jurisdiction over the property.

The land is owned by the state, but it is used by the city as part of its recreation center, including tennis and basketball courts. The Department of Education has an agreement of joint use with the city to use the field for student activities.

None of the groups has clear responsibility for maintenance.

After more than a decade of planning, the state held a meeting with residents last week to detail plans for its year-long facelift of the baseball/softball field complex. Work will include grading, new top soil and grass, a sprinkler system, new fences, dugouts and access for people with disabilities.

The baseball field is next to Stevenson Middle School across the street from Roosevelt High and is used by students from both schools as well as Lincoln Elementary.

The project includes improvements to Stevenson's parking lot to allow parents to drop off students and turn their cars around and exit back onto Prospect Street. Drivers now must continue on through the campus and exit on Auwaolimu Street.

But not everyone is happy about the changes. Neighbors said foul balls regularly drop into their property, dust fills the air when the wind blows, and noise from traffic and fans are longstanding problems. Improving the facility will increase its use and their complaints, they said.

Prospect Street resident Pat Nobriga, who lives directly across the field, brought a bag of baseballs to the meeting that had been hit foul over the backstop and landed in her yard.

"Since 1979 we have had baseballs hitting our house," Nobriga said. "We can't go outside when they are playing ball because the balls come across. Who is going to be responsible if there is an accident, property is damaged or somebody is hurt? Somebody has to take responsibility."

Nobriga and other residents at the meeting want the improvements to include fences or netting to catch foul balls and other measures to keep the dust and noise in check.

Roosevelt principal Dennis Hokama said the project is intended to address existing problems, not an expansion of the facility or an expansion of its use.

"Those fields are inferior and the money is to renovate those fields," Hokama said. "This is an opportunity to address existing problems."

But, he said, "The neighbors' concerns are very valid and I think we can take care of that."

Nick Nichols, state Department of Education facility planner, said the sprinkler system and new grass should keep the dust down and a new 24-foot-tall fence will replace a shorter fence along the first-base line, closest to the residents. A new 4-foot fence right along Prospect Street will prevent illegal parking in the dirt and reduce dust and noise and improve safety by keeping traffic lanes clear.

The state will also look into a netting system similar to one used at Punahou School to prevent foul balls from going into the street, but changes in plans are limited by the budget, Nichols said.

Work on the parking area is expected to be completed by July 20 when teachers return to the middle school for the new term. Work on the baseball field will be completed by September, but the grass needs six months to grow in before being used, Nichols said.

The $682,000 in softball field improvements will begin next year and include new bleachers, ground work and a restroom. Nichols said both fields cannot be out of use at the same time because the schools need them for activities.

Area legislators will hold additional public meetings to update residents on changes to the project.

Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.