NEWBURY PARK : Officials to Study Reduced Field Use

Thousand Oaks school officials Thursday will consider a compromise plan that would allow the Newbury Park Pony Baseball League to continue playing on fields at Sequoia Junior High School without disturbing neighbors.

Homeowners along adjacent Lupe Avenue have complained about traffic, parking problems and noise from the 470-player league operating six days per week on four fields behind their houses.

“It was totally out of control,” said Bob Holland, one of several neighbors trying to reduce playing hours at the school.

The Conejo Valley Unified School District leases the fields to the nonprofit league during its four-month season. School officials initially had recommended against renewing the baseball league’s permit to use the site.

After reviewing proposals from both sides, however, the district has recommended allowing only two of the four fields to be used at a time. Play also would be reduced to four days a week from six, officials said.

Under the plan to be considered by the school board at its regular meeting 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the baseball league would transfer half of its activities to two fields at Newbury Park High School.

The league and local American Youth Soccer Organization leaders together are trying to secure money to build joint facilities elsewhere in Newbury Park within three years, they said. In the meantime, they say the league has nowhere to go.

Holland said the neighbors plan to ask that the agreement encourage the league to relocate within three years.