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ZBA grants variance to Southline Little League to keep outfield fences and netting after heated neighborhood debate
Summary
After extensive resident testimony about noise, lights, dust and wildlife incidents, the Cheektowaga ZBA granted variances allowing the existing outfield fences and 20‑foot netting at Southline Little League’s Diamond Z to remain, citing long‑standing use and financial hardship to reconfigure fields.
The Cheektowaga Zoning Board of Appeals on Nov. 19 granted a variance allowing Southline Little League to keep existing outfield fences and 20‑foot netting at Diamond Z at 294 North Signe Drive, after more than an hour of testimony from neighbors and league officials.
Southline representatives said the fencing and netting have existed in various forms for decades and that the league — a not‑for‑profit youth organization with roughly 400–450 players — lacks funds to relocate or reconfigure fields. "We would like to maintain the fences as is," a league official told the board and added the netting was installed to prevent balls from reaching neighboring yards.
Neighbors including Gloria Battaglia said the netting and recent reinvigoration of the field have created persistent noise, dust, lights shining into backyards and claimed incidents of wildlife caught in netting. Battaglia said the increased late‑season activity and music have made backyards “unusable” from March through October and asked the board to deny the variance.
Past league leaders and other supporters said the fences and netting predate some residents’ memories, were originally permitted by the town, and are needed to shield properties from errant balls. Former league president Mike Kanick told the board the fences and a larger diamond have been in place since the 1970s and early 2000s and that league volunteers paid for much of the work.
After hearing both sides, the board voted to grant the requested variances to leave the fences and netting in place. Board members noted a mix of long‑standing use, safety concerns about balls reaching houses, and practical constraints around relocation costs when making their decision.
