If the development plan clears some hurdles, the Seacoast Mavericks (summer collegiate; Futures Collegiate Baseball League) will receive a new ballpark at a sports complex in Dover.
USA Training Centers owner Dave Hoyt is pitching a concept to Dover, NH officials that calls for the construction of sports complex and additional commercial development. One of the major pieces of the development is a 2,000-seat ballpark that would host the Mavericks, who currently play their games at Leary Field in Portsmouth.
Hoyt, who also owns the Mavericks, is calling on the local planning board to rezone the site for the complex, which is located between Littleworth and Tolend roads. At a recent hearing, nearby residents expressed concerns about the proposal, but project officials say there is time to address some of these issues. More from Fosters.com:
Ted Anglace, who has lived on Wallace Drive for 18 years, was one of 14 residents to speak against the proposal. He says the rezoning goes against the city’s Master Plan, which designated the land as medium-density residential.
“This area is residential,” Anglace said. “…; In my personal opinion, a 2,000-seat stadium, five to eight baseball fields, hotels, restaurants, convenience stores, gas stations, lights for night games and concerts doesn’t maintain rural character. The project doesn’t fit the Master Plan. This needs to be rejected.”
Because the project is still in its early phases, USA Training Centers is yet to do in-depth design work. However, Attorney F.X. Bruton of Bruton & Berube PLLC, which is representing USA Training Centers, says the developer is willing to work to address all the neighbors concerns.
“I understand that when you look at this material for the first time, some of those concerns you heard tonight come to the forefront,” Bruton said at Tuesday’s meeting. “We understand those concerns and we want to incorporate into the project what we can to address those concerns.”
The complex will have the ability to host events on a year-round basis, as the proposal currently includes a 15,000 square foot indoor baseball facility and a 90,000 square foot field with a seasonal dome. A public hearing for the plan has been scheduled for January 24, 2017.