Nelson Baseball’s request to extend its hours at Lions Park has struck out.
City council voted down the proposal to increase the amount of baseball played at the park from 100 hours per season to 200 between April and June.
Instead, council said Tuesday that city staff and Nelson and District Community Complex staff would work together to relocate games to Queen Elizabeth Park and Lakeside Park for the remainder of the season.
Councillors referred to a staff report that said Nelson Baseball currently uses more hours than initially agreed to in a memorandum of understanding signed in 2011. Letters of complaint from community members living near Lions Park were also cited.
Currently Nelson Baseball uses the Queen Elizabeth diamond for its older players, while the Lakeside diamonds have belonged to mixed slo-pitch teams.
Council also denied a request to increase the age limit from 10-to-12 years old for baseball tournaments at Lions Park. Responsibility for maintenance of the park was, however, transferred from the association to the city.
The original 2011 agreement will also be torn up and replaced with a new park use policy.
With files from Bill Metcalfe.
