Two neglected baseball diamonds in Waterloo will be upgraded this year as the city tries to meet a growing demand for baseball programming.

City councillors voted Monday night to move ahead with upgrades to the Laurelwood Park and Eastbridge Green ball diamonds, which haven’t been programmed for several years.

According to the city, the upgrades will allow for children in organized T-ball leagues to use the diamonds. This in turn will free up space at other diamonds for older players.

The plan was over the objections of some people living near the parks, including Laurelwood resident John McCarthy.

McCarthy said he felt concerned residents were “strung along” and never had their concerns about traffic and safety taken into account.

“We really felt like we had great arguments, and we really felt like we were just ignored,” he said.

Mark Schram, the president of Waterloo Minor Baseball, says his organization was able to find room for all kids who wanted to play in 2017, but used up the city’s entire capacity for organized baseball in the process.

He says residential neighbourhoods like Laurelwood and Eastbridge are typically underserved for baseball facilities.

“If you have a seven year old playing baseball, it would be pretty nice to have them playing a block from your house,” he said.

Councillors also voted to investigate renovations to two baseball diamonds at Waterloo Park and three at RIM Park, including the addition of lights which would allow the diamonds to be used until 11 p.m.

The renovations at those two parks aren’t expected to start until 2020. A report prepared for councillors says they are meant to address future demand and to create possible replacement diamonds for the other two at Waterloo Park, which may be converted into festival space.

Coun. Melissa Durrell has been one voice pushing for the conversion, arguing that the park needs a space to hold large festivals, and the current home of baseball diamonds 1 and 2 is the best spot for that space.

“We need to create a community for everyone. Having a festival heart area where people can gather and celebrate not only sports, but arts and culture, is important for a growing community,” she said.

Aaron Hornostaj has been on the other side of the issue, fighting to keep all four baseball diamonds at Waterloo Park.

He says he’s happy with Monday’s vote, given it shows the growing demand for baseball in Waterloo and the city’s willingness to support it.

“There’s still going to be a battle … to save the fields at Waterloo Park,” he said.

“I believe it’s going to take years and years and years.”

The report notes that diamonds 3 and 4 at Waterloo Park cannot be considered as replacements for diamonds 1 and 2 without the upgrades, as their outfields overlap, making them “non-useable” for baseball programming.

A report with more details about the RIM Park and Waterloo Park renovations, including costs, is expected to go before councillors in 2019.

With reporting by Tina Yazdani