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Group is no friend to plan for ballfields

A youth sports association wants ballfields in Brooker Creek Preserve, a project that would clear 3,000 trees.

By THERESA BLACKWELL
Published September 16, 2006

EAST LAKE - Mathew Poling, the 16-year-old leader of the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve, had some straight talk for his board members at a meeting Thursday night.

"I don't think we've ever said formally that we're opposed to building ballfields (on the preserve)," he said. "And I think we ought to do that tonight."

He was greeted with a resounding "Aye!" And with that, the increasingly confrontational land preservationists had drawn another line in the sand.

This time, the Friends will take on the East Lake Youth Sports Association (ELYSA), which plans to add two soccer fields and two baseball fields on 38 acres of what now is piney woods - part of the publicly owned, 8,000-plus acre Brooker Creek Preserve.

To build the fields, 3,000 trees would have to go. The area also is a habitat for wildlife.

What galls the Friends is that the land is supposed to be used for passive recreation, as is all the Preserve. To the Friends, "passive" activities are hiking and birding. Not soccer.

Leaders of ELYSA could not be reached for comment Friday. But it's likely they won't take lightly the stance taken by the Friends group.

Members of Friends succeeded earlier this month in derailing county government plans to build an equestrian center in the Preserve.

And the Friends' vociferous opposition to reopening three wells in the Preserve to water East Lake Woodlands golf courses snarled county plans this summer. The county didn't drop the idea but launched a more detailed study of environmental impacts.

This level of advocacy is the emerging profile of the Friends group, a 12-year-old organization that started with hikers and bird watchers who wanted to enjoy the big Preserve in northeast Pinellas County.

But recently, with position papers, opposition statements and petition drives, the Friends have promoted their own plan for better protecting the preserve.

When the preserve first was established in the 1992, Friends leader, Poling, was just a precocious toddler. Nature-lovers and birders like Ken Rowe, now 78, volunteered to haul trash out of what had become a county dumping ground. Rowe said he took out bedsprings, washing machines, old boats, compressed air tanks, etc.

"We must have hauled out half a million baby food jars," Rowe said.

Laboring through the heat and the cold, Rowe often was wet, muddy and exhausted. But he couldn't help but fall in love with the place, he said.

When the Friends formed in 1994, Rowe was among the first to join, volunteering to lead hikes. He continued to work with the group, serving as chairman for several years and now as a board member.

Rowe thinks Poling helped move the group in a more active direction earlier this year.

"He was a little less discreet about what he would say and that was probably a good thing," Rowe said. "He's a sharp young man, an excellent naturalist."

The group's evolution has led to friction with county officials.

Bruce Rinker, director of the county Environmental Lands Division, asked the group to think about the role it should play. He had attended a county workshop where a consultant had talked about volunteer groups and their functions. Some groups were "friends, foundations and watchdogs," he said.

Historically, Friends had played a supportive role. He remembers telling the group:

"Let's make sure that we are continuing as a friends group and not crossing over into those other activities."

Friends board members heard that as a warning. Planting flowers, answering questions in the education center - fine. Issuing position statements - not so good.

But the Friends kept their position statements on their Web site, including the one on land use in the Preserve. It states:

"The Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve support land uses within the boundaries of Brooker Creek Preserve which have a main purpose that furthers the preservation, conservation, restoration or protection of the lands and resources of the Brooker Creek Preserve."

Based on that position, they opposed the reactivation of the three water wells. And they opposed building the therapeutic horse center.

Now, it's ballfields.

Friends vice chair Barbara Hoffman said the group regrets sitting by in 2003, when the county agreed to lease a tree-covered slice of the Preserve to East Lake Youth Sports for $1 a year.

Now, there are fields for soccer, baseball, cheerleading and football on 25 acres.

Friends say it will be difficult to stop the expansion of the fields. But they are sure where they stand.

"We're just saying we oppose it," said Hoffman. "That's fine - that's what we do."

Fast Facts:

26 - acres the East Lake Youth Sports Association now owns.

38 - acres ELYSA is leasing from the county for $1 yearly.

1,500 - youths the ELYSA serves in the East Lake area with sports including baseball, soccer, football and cheerleading.

2,500 - youths the ELYSA plans to serve with the expansion.

$3-million - amount ELYSA estimates for constructing lighted soccer and baseball fields with parking and a restroom/concession building.

$1.15-million - grant money the county has earmarked for ELYSA to help fund the ballfield expansion, according to Liz Warren, assistant county administrator.

3,000 - county estimate of pine trees to be cut down. 2 - Web sites for more information:

www.eastlakesports.com

www.friendsofbrookercreekpreserve.org

[Last modified September 16, 2006, 06:30:27]