01/30/1957
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Mi,m~t...ef!r ()f meJot~ng JJo..,!noS_d!~.._J..l\]lun}:Y,--.lQ..L.lli.1 1}}J,lnnhing ,Dpar.d Oli'ico,
Present. were memboro Kruse, Harries, Lovison, Reade_ Gallo'way
and Norton. Mayor Homer t Oommiasione~s I.naco and Haborts, Virgil
'Dobson, Park Superintendent., Henry Dunn, AU3t.. City Manager, City
Engineer Lickton, Joe Dulligan, Prosident of Clearwater Little Leaguers,
and Howard Hartley of \rrAN ~
This was a joint meeting of the Planning Board and the Park
Committee of the Oity Commission which was held primarily to discuss
possible locations .for Little League Baseball playing l'ields.
Chair.man Kruse opened the meeting at 4:00 PoMG and the minutes of
the January. 2hth meeting \-Tere approved ''lithout change..
Mr. Kruse read from the City Commi.3sion minutes 'the section
authorizing tl~ joint meeting and requesting the Planning Board to
study the matter..
~h'. Levison outlined tl~O possible plans:
1. A centralized location which would be equipped with four play-
2..
quarters 0
Four separate diamonds -to be located convenient to residential
neighborhoods in the Cityo
The Planning Board requested the City Commission to elect om:' or
the other of these plansc Mru Levison stated that t~here is not, nOl'l'l
any City o'\'med location large enough to meet the requirements of' plan
#1 with the exception oJ' the parking lot. 01' JacIe Russell Stadium combined
with Green Fieldu If' th is area is used 'the receipts from concessions
would have to be ass1.gned ..to pay the fixed c;hargas on the Stadium debt,
under the indenture of the StadiR~ bondsQ
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Locating Ltttle Le~gue diamonds in :}C!pCl.rtlto np.i~;hbo!'hoorls tall
L involve suhstantial dxpenditures i'or seating, t.olJot, facilit.ies, super-
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JallUnr~l 30 t 1957
Pa.~o 2
vision, and maintenance~ Uooidents near parka' that would U0 used havo
objected in Bome ins1ilUlcen to the establ1,shmont of' baseball diamonds.
Mrn Norton described ,a site on the south side of Clearwater
comprising four acres on ''Jhich there i5 a large residence lIhat Kl uld
serve ,for headquarterst storage) toilet facilities) and concessions.
The coat of the land might be as much as ~3 5 pOGO and the house ap prox.
~20,000 making an initlal required expenditure of fifty to rift~y-.rive
thousand dollars, Additional expenses would be necessary .for con-
structing the diamonds, backstops, and remodGling the residence.
Mayor Homer and t.1r.. Insco said that, the City is rmable to finance
such a large expenditure and that an inexpensive solution i.s necessary,
However, Commissioner Insco re~lested that the Board investigate the
south side site 50 that an acctu~ate astim~te can be rr~de of its cost~
Mr.. Lickton who is a Little League coach emphasized t.hat the Little
League f~cilities should be cen'tralizad ill one location rather than
scatterada Experience with the Little League to date has showed that
centralization has many ad~antages in ob~aining umpries, care and main-
tenance of grounds and other facilitieso
Commissioner Insco suggested that the Board obtatn copies of the
City'~ monthly financial reports so that Board can see t~a amount that
can be :Jpent on ite.-us of interest to the Planni.ne Board..:
g~.~ror Homer ex.plained in considerable detail a plan ',."rhich he bad
conceived for using publ:lc school grounds for Lit'Gl(~ League diamonds..
Grounds at. 1~he High School, Skycrest, and Sowt,h \fard are large enough
for Lit~tle League diamond.':l and there arB . ,to j.lct. fac:i.li1.~l(.n~ and sho\iers
ayai1able., The City>> if necessary, could fllrni~)h '"mi.-=ttever policing
might be requireda It ,''lax Mayor HOmr31..15 nuggestion that the Board
initiate discussions T(rj.th the County School Board to explore pO~lsibilities
t ... t"
Janwlry J01 1957
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or putting school grounds to such u"~e.. Mr" Harr:t0S ntatcr.l Ii hut in soma
New York State Cities ~ school ground9 are put 1jO simillul' UBB so au
to provide ex.cellent. playground facilities after school hOllrs l> l~y'or
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Homer requested that tho Board discuns w.lth' the County School Authorities
the use of a spec:ific site in the vicini'l:.y of the 11i.gh School a.nd a1. so
a general policy that may ultimately' lead "to __!ide U::.\f:? of school grounds
for City playgrounds 0
Nr. Insco requested that the Planning Doard study a propcsed
location north of Curtis Colored Schoolf for some potential use.
Comnlis sioner Roberts proposed that \.;hen the channels in the Bay
are dredged that the spoil be used to fill 37 acres of submerged land
chmadby the City. This could be connected to lll}emorial Causevray and
used for playing .fields and park purposes..
There was further discussion of the site now being used in the
neighborhood of Jack I1.ussell Stadium.. It is the opinion of some oJ:
those present that ways could be fo\md to retain the concession receipt~
for Little League purposes... Some of' the great advan't".ages of ,t.his
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location are that only a. modorate expend.iture \'ioulcl be required for
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improvement Q,nd 'chere is adequate :C'I;tom ft)!' as many diamonds as ~r.:.l1
be needed" Operating and maintenance expenditures can be held to a
minimum.. VIr... Dulligan stated i;hat 1'eceipt8 from COllcc3s:1ons had bee~
suffiei en~1j to pay Li 1~tle I~€:ngue expensF.~s C).ad it Is therefore ~ desirable
to arrive at a plan tha't \'/111 continue to be SE!'lf suppor'ting~
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'1'he Park Committr.!:G oi' the Gommillsion :."uq\l8!~ted t.he Planning Boax'd to
submit a vrrit'ten reccrnrIlfJl1dation covering this plan...
The meeting nc1.jcurued at 5~15 P.M.,
R8Bpect.ful].1~ submit"bed
HoJ.ph t;f.. B. Reade, Secretary