Residents ask Wiseburn board for taller fence, controlled lot access at new sports complex

Two residents told the Wiseburn Unified School District board on Tuesday that the district's new Wiseburn Sports Complex is exposing their backyards and creating security and privacy concerns, and they asked the district to move faster on proposed fencing and controlled access to a spillover parking lot. The board received the comments during the public comment period and district staff said they will return to the board with options.

Neighbors said the complex sits several feet higher than their backyards and that the existing perimeter fence and maintenance access allow people to look directly into homes. "Our backyards line up to that the baseball fields...they're about 3 feet lower...you could see right in," resident Angela Jessen said. Resident Liz Kelly said she and other homeowners met with district representatives and were told the district would propose adding taller fencing and controls on the spillover lot near Aviation to limit access to event times.

The residents said the district's construction team proposed adding a 10-foot chain-link fence with an opaque privacy screen on the district side of the property and installing a gate that would keep the spillover lot closed except during staffed events. Kelly said the district indicated the fencing proposal would be implemented after the park opened and "about 3 months after the park was open," a timeline the residents said would leave them exposed for an extended period.

District staff confirmed they have visited the yards and walked the site with construction and design teams, including representatives from the district, PBK (architect) and Erickson Hall (construction). Dr. Silvers, speaking for the district, said staff are developing options that could include a 10-foot chain-link fence with a blackout privacy screen and a locked gate at the spillover lot; he said staff will return to the board with a recommendation, likely within the next month.

During public comment, board policy prevented trustees from responding to the speakers beyond acknowledging receipt. Blake, who led district reports earlier in the meeting, told the speakers the district had been meeting with the neighbors and would follow up internally. "We are putting together a plan, to provide some sort of privacy there," Dr. Silvers said in the board'room discussion that followed.

The comments combined residents' firsthand observations about sight lines and security with staff's description of possible physical changes to the site. No formal board action on the fence or gate was recorded at the meeting; staff identified it as an item they would bring back to the board for review.

District staff and the residents described the potential measures as aimed at privacy and security, not at altering the sports facilities' design or operation. The district indicated any gates or fencing would be managed by district staff during events. The precise budget, contractor, and schedule for the fencing and gate were not specified at the meeting.

Board members and staff said they would continue outreach with the affected homeowners and would present concrete options to the board before implementing physical changes.