Homeowners Cry Foul Over Developer’s Plan for Little League Fields : Northridge: Residents say land was promised for baseball. But a proposal gives the diamonds no protection.

George Hall, a dedicated champion of Little League baseball, admitted that he would have made a “deal with the devil” to preserve the league’s Northridge fields from the persistent march of development.

That, he said, was why two years ago, in return for a developer’s promise to make the fields forever available to nurture the baseball dreams of little boys and girls, Hall supported a plan to construct 250,000 square feet of office space nearby.

Hall allowed his name to be used on literature sent out by the developer, ASL Financial, promoting the office project, and he often was portrayed as a project spokesman.

Despite Hall’s best efforts, homeowner opposition to commercial development near the site at Devonshire Street and Wilbur Avenue dashed ASL’s hopes and, eventually, the company withdrew its proposal.

Now, as a prelude to another attempt to develop the 24-acre property, ASL has asked the city to record a parcel map that denies the baseball diamonds any special protection.

City planners have responded that ASL promised earlier to give the 13 acres to the city for use as Little League baseball fields and the developer should be made to honor the agreement.

An ASL appeal of the conditions requiring it to give up ownership of the baseball fields, conditions which the developer now contends in city documents are illegal and unconstitutional, will go before the city Board of Zoning Appeals on June 25.

Connie Levin, the ASL project manager, could not be reached for comment on whether the company will try once again to build a commercial project or will propose building houses. Current zoning would allow the company to build 45 houses on the 11 acres not occupied by the baseball fields. In 1989, the city Planning Department recommended that the property be used for houses after the fields are turned over to the city.

“I don’t feel good about what’s going on,” said Hall, 70, a longtime Little League enthusiast who volunteers to do landscaping at the field and helps organize the league’s activities. “But it’s not surprising . . . because what big business wants, big business does.”

He said he promoted ASL’s 1989 plans for offices on the site because the company had promised to pay for $1 million in improvements to the fields and because he felt the deal would provide airtight guarantees for the league, which now serves 850 youths.

But nearby homeowners and City Councilman Hal Bernson, who represents the area, contended at the time that the developer’s earlier promises already gave the league the protections it needed.

“When these residents continually said that you don’t have to worry, the Little League is always going to be here, I said, ‘Hey, we’re not secure,’ ” Hall said.

Jack Cox, one of the leaders of homeowner opposition to ASL, said: “We’re appalled that ASL would now go back on everything they said they were in favor of. They attempted . . . to manipulate the Little League to support the imposition of this office complex in the middle of our residential community . . . and now that they didn’t get their way they are willing to sacrifice the . . . fields that benefit the youths.”

Bernson wrote a letter this week to the Board of Zoning Appeals reiterating his support of the Northridge Little League and accusing ASL of “trying to back out” of earlier commitments to protect the league’s fields.

The letter also demanded that the developer be required to make public its plans for the property and “fulfill his promise to dedicate the Little League fields” to public ownership.

Ali Sar, a spokesman for Bernson, said the developer had not contacted the councilman’s office. “We have no idea what they want to do,” he said.

Hall, meanwhile, said any attempt to eliminate the Little League fields was shortsighted. “Once this place is gone . . . we’re done,” he said. “One of these days we’ll have to tear down some of these structures around here in order to give kids a place to play.”

Hall said the actions of his former ally were disturbing to many associated with the baseball program. “But, where big money is involved you can’t hardly trust anybody.”