Linda Vista Recreation Center Needs Taller Fence, Law Enforcement

Two members of the Linda Vista community, Sarah Flora Palma and Joel Cruz, appeared before the San Diego City Council on October 5 in order bring to light problems that residents have had with the Linda Vista Recreation Center’s baseball field.

According to the residents, the fence surrounding the field is not tall enough to block the baseballs from going into adjacent parking lots, properties, and yards.

“There have been broken windows, dents on cars, and the neighbors have to pay for it,” said Palma. During one instance, Palma said that her young daughter avoided serious injury when a baseball barely missed hitting her. Palma says she spoke to rec-center employees regarding her concerns but they haven’t done anything about the fence.

On weekends, says Palma, there are people that drink alcohol (which, she told the council, is illegal) and play baseball at the park, and locals have reported seeing those people urinate in the parking lot.

“We’re asking someone to build a taller fence and implement stricter rules for people that come there and drink,” said Palma.

Regarding people drinking at the park, Cruz said through an interpreter, “You can see that they are drunk and you can see beer cases and everything else and they make fun of us [when they see balls go over the fence], and we feel there needs to be some kind of a fix to this problem.”

District 6 councilmember Donna Frye acknowledged that her office and staff are working to find a resolution. She encouraged other citizens to come forward if they have been affected by similar concerns regarding the baseball field.