Pottsville’s Zoning Hearing Board denied Pottsville Area Little League a variance to construct an indoor batting cage building at the site of the former Ivy Side swimming pool.
The decision was rendered on Wednesday night, following a lengthy conclusion to a hearing that dragged on for several months. Zoning Hearing Board members voted 2-2 at the conclusion of the hearing.
Chairman Charlie Taronis told an increasingly impatient crowd that watched more than five hours of this hearing over the last two months that the tie vote means the variance request was denied.
Pottsville Area Little League wanted to construct a 120×80-foot indoor batting cage building – essentially, a pole building – on the site of the former swimming pool, which was officially closed for good in 2023.
Members of the Little League organization said the facility is necessary for children in the city who are otherwise forced to use similar buildings in other Schuylkill County municipalities to hone their hitting skills in the offseason or during inclement weather.
The Little League said the building could also accommodate other forms of baseball training, like defense, and could potentially be used by other sports.
Neighbors of the proposed facility got their chance to voice their opposition during Wednesday’s hearing, which was continued from August due to the length of testimony.
Several concerns were raised by those neighbors, including parking along Mahantongo St., even though Ivy Side has its own parking lot, noise from the building, and the winter maintenance of the driveway that leads to where the building would have been located.
Brian Barket, a retired Pottsville dentist who lives near the proposed batting cage building, formally opposed the project and testified Wednesday.
“It’s going to be intrusive,” Barket said. “Just proposing it is disrespectful to the residential neighborhood. It’s going to be this behemoth on the hill.”
Pottsville Area Little League has 30 days to appeal the decision handed down Wednesday.
Shane Hobbs, who represented the Little League, said he’s unsure if the organization will appeal or begin looking for a new location in Pottsville.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- No Decision Yet on Pottsville Little League’s Proposal for Former Swimming Pool
- Zoning Hearing for Little League Batting Building Delayed Due to Newspaper Error
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