Students and parents press council for more baseball fields at Paloma Park and across Peoria

Several residents used public comment at the Sept. 16 council meeting to press elected officials to expand Paloma Park with additional baseball fields and related youth amenities, saying the shortage of regulation fields forces families to travel long distances and restricts older‑youth play.

What residents said: Beau, a 12‑year‑old player and local resident, told council the Paloma Park design vetted by the public already includes baseball fields, a bike park, skate park and other amenities and urged the city to proceed with construction rather than delay. “The design we all voted on included more baseball fields, a bike park, a skate park… The design we all voted on was sorry. The design we all voted on included more baseball fields,” Beau said during public comment.

Becky Hamilton, who said her family moved to Peoria for proximity to spring‑training and local baseball, said field scarcity is leading to turned‑away registrations and will harm youth development opportunities. “Regulation sized fields are not a luxury. They are a necessity,” Hamilton told council and cited a 35% increase in Sidewinder Little League fall registrations year‑over‑year.

Requests to council: Speakers asked the city to identify locations and funding for just two or three more fields — including at least one regulation field for older youth — or to partner with local nonprofits and schools to improve lighting and availability at existing facilities. Several speakers said they would support modest public funding or public‑private partnerships to expand local capacity.

Staff response and next steps: Council members did not take formal action during the Sept. 16 meeting but were directed to staff for follow‑up; speakers were invited to work with parks staff and the Sidewinder Little League to identify priority sites and funding scenarios.