New Softball Field Stirs Controversy In Newcastle

A Newcastle family built a softball field on their property for a group of little girls to play. But the field is right next to a neighborhood, and some residents aren't happy about it.

Monday, August 26th 2013, 7:03 pm

By: News 9


A Newcastle family built a softball field on their property for a group of little girls to play. But the field is right next to a neighborhood, and some residents aren't happy about it.

"You know it's just 6-year-old little girls, I didn't think it would be a big issue," said Amanda Fleenor.

She and her husband Dave constructed a small softball field for their daughter's team of 11 girls to practice. Dave Fleenor built the homes in Fleenor Estates years ago in Newcastle. In July, the Fleenors broke ground on putting the field up at the end of a street in the neighborhood.

They wanted a convenient place for their daughter's team to play, but some neighbors aren't on board.

"That's one of the reasons why bought our house in here was that we didn't think that they would of anything build a softball field," said Melissa Swetz, who has lived in Fleenor Estates for two months.

Swetz says some of the neighbors think the softball field will attract unwanted visitors, strip privacy and increase traffic and noise.

"I don't like our street being an entrance to the field," Swetz said.

"I like to sit out here with my kids and watch them play out here in the driveway and not have to worry about cars coming through here constantly."

It even turned ugly after the softball field's first practice last week when police were called out. Swetz says neighbors were alarmed at a car speeding from the field while Amanda Fleenor says a neighbor kicked a softball mom's car.

"There was a verbal assault in the middle of the street by one of the neighbors, who was cussing and screaming and carrying on at another mom and myself in front of kids," Fleenor said.

Both the Fleenors and the neighbors have contacted the City of Newcastle, who is now caught in the middle.

"It's legal use of private property and it is a public street, so the public's got a right to have access to it," says Ian Crittenden, Director of Community Development for the City Of Newcastle.

"So from our perspective, there's not really anything we can do beyond trying to make sure people who are operating their vehicles up and down that street are being safe."

Crittenden says the city is monitoring the situation and says as long as the softball field remains free of charge, it's perfectly legal.

Swetz says some residents are pushing for their neighborhood street to become a private road. The Fleenors say they team is only going to use the softball field 12 weeks out of the entire year.

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