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BAR approves vinyl-coated chain-link enclosure for Vienna Girls Softball pitching lanes with safety conditions
Summary
The Board approved installation of a vinyl-coated chain-link enclosure around pitching lanes at Kathy Field 1 to protect pitchers and bystanders after a child was struck by a softball; approval includes conditions to avoid tripping hazards and maintain a 5-foot clearance, and staff were asked to consider drainage impacts if timber water-retention elements are moved.
The Board of Architectural Review on Feb. 19 approved a request from Parks staff and the Vienna Girls Softball League to install a vinyl-coated chain-link enclosure around existing pitching lanes at Kathy Field 1 (docket PF-1949168-BAR), citing player and spectator safety.
Leslie Herman, director of Parks and Recreation, described the enclosure as similar in appearance to existing fencing at nearby Waters Field and said the request followed an incident in which a child was struck in the eye by a stray softball. Project manager Dave Donahue and Amber Clusner of the Vienna Girls Softball League described the layout: four pitching lanes, black vinyl-coated chain link, gates for maintenance and two pedestrian gates.
Board members focused on clearances and pedestrian circulation. Staff said the design would provide approximately a 5-foot clearance from poles and other obstructions to maintain ADA access and pedestrian flow. Several members asked that any existing timber water-retention elements be adjusted so they would not create a tripping hazard in the new alignment.
The motion to approve included the conditions that the existing timber barrier not pose a tripping hazard in alignment with the new fence location, that a 5-foot clearance be maintained on the outside of the fence for obstructions, and a recommendation that any movement of timber consider potential runoff changes. The motion passed with no recorded opposition.
