Council approves fencing for Veterans Park fields to restore youth baseball

Black Mountain Town Council voted unanimously to proceed with fence installation at Veterans Park, a step council members said is needed to allow Owen Babe Ruth to hold practices and games this spring.

Town staff liaison Josh Henderson presented three vendor quotes and explained the bids used a common set of specifications for backstops, foul-line and outfield fencing. Henderson told the council the three rebuilt fields are essentially ready and that fencing is the final piece required for game play. "The fencing is the last piece that we need more of them to operate," Henderson said.

Council members discussed bids and schedule uncertainty across contractors. Henderson said vendors were informed the league typically begins late February to March and that companies gave informal timing estimates but could offer no absolute guarantees. Councilmember discussion repeatedly pointed to quality-of-life and youth benefits, with one councilmember saying the project would positively affect roughly 400 children who plan to play spring ball.

A motion to proceed with Asheville Fence for fields 2, 3 and 4 passed unanimously; the council instructed staff to finalize the vendor agreement and move forward with installation. No roll-call vote list of individual council votes was recorded in the transcript.

Why it matters: Rebuilding and equipping the ballfields restores a community recreation asset and supports youth sports after the hurricane damaged park facilities. Council members framed the vote as a relatively modest investment to resume activities for hundreds of local children.

What happens next: Staff will execute the contract with the chosen vendor and coordinate scheduling, port-a-johns and other needs to support the season; council members signaled interest in later actions to address concessions and restroom needs if necessary.