Belen baseball fields riddled with broken glass

April 27, 2010

Glass in the outfield of one baseball field.

The baseball fields at Belen’s Eagle Park, constructed on top of a former glass dump, are riddled with broken glass, with the new administration working to address the problem.

Opened a couple of years ago, the two baseball fields were built on land leveled at the north end of Eagle Park. The land, however, was a glass dump in the previous years.

Because the land wasn’t sufficiently prepped for the construction of baseball fields, glass from the dump remained embedded in the soil, with some of that glass rising to the surface.

At least one of the two fields has glass shards spread around the outfield from the original construction.

Glass in the outfield of one baseball field.

The fields are, of course, used by children and adults for baseball games, but have been used for other activities as well, such as dog shows.

Because the glass appears to surface slowly and primarily after watering or cutting of the grass, with regular maintenance the glass should be easy to remove to keep the public safe. It’s unclear just how much glass might be under the surface.

The administration also continues to assess how to address gopher burrows in the fields.

Councilor Jerah R. Cordova's foot sank into the soil.

The administration is expected to report to Belen City Councilor Jerah R. Cordova this week about how the problems at the Eagle Park fields will be corrected.

Posted in: Infrastructure