Could West Melbourne restore dangerously damaged Space Coast Field of Dreams?

Brittany Klenotich, who has cerebral palsy, hit the first foam baseball off the tee in Space Coast Field of Dreams history during the facility's January 2016 gala opening ceremony — and Gov. Rick Scott helped her hustle around the bases with her walker for a home run.

Today, Klenotich still does physical therapy at the West Melbourne special-needs sports complex. But her mother, Denise, says she no longer plays on a team at the damaged tee-ball ballfield, where the rubberized playing safety surface is dangerously separating at the seams.

Field conditions deteriorated so badly in recent weeks that city workers shuttered the diamond as a safety threat — and trip-and-fall hazards near home plate were walled off by orange cones and yellow caution tape.

"I don't like to be negative. And I don't know what other word to say besides 'fail.' But you have failed the special-needs community," Denise Klenotich told the West Melbourne City Council on Tuesday, standing alongside Brittany at the public-comment podium.

"If you can tell me why it has gotten that bad, they would like to understand. And so would I," Klenotich said, fighting back tears.

'Embarrassment': Space Coast Field of Dreams ballfield closes with trip-and-fall damages

City Council members expressed embarrassment and surprise their last two meetings over the state of Space Coast Field of Dreams, the $5.5 million Minton Road all-access sports facility where the city assumed operations and maintenance responsibilities in 2019.

Now, rather than spend $73,117 to patch and repair damages, West Melbourne officials indicate they'd rather pay more money to completely replace failing rubberized playing surfaces — and help restore the complex to its status as a unique-to-Florida showpiece. Costs remain unclear, but the project could range from $500,000 to $1 million.

“Let’s do it right now. Let's do the right thing today and replace that surface, make it new, and incorporate all the improvements," said Council Member Pat Bentley, who labeled the shuttered ballfield "horrific" and "an embarrassment."

"Let’s not try to repair that mess that we've got out there. We're just kidding ourselves if we think we're going to make that great," Brantley said.

Melbourne news: Chlorine boost affecting Melbourne drinking water customers across South Brevard

By unanimous vote, the City Council chose to forgo the $73,117 patch-repair job. Instead, they will seek bids and further details from specialized contractors that can replace the damaged rubberized surfaces. The patch-repair job would have focused on the baseball field, basketball area, soccer field and playground.

City Manager Tim Rhode displayed photos of public works and parks employees repairing failed seams and filling in trip-and-fall gaps Tuesday around home plate. He said the ballfield should reopen after the temporary patches cure in three days or thereabouts.

Last week, orange cones and yellow caution tape surrounding the damaged home-plate area at Space Coast Field of Dreams in West Melbourne.
Last week, orange cones and yellow caution tape surrounding the damaged home-plate area at Space Coast Field of Dreams in West Melbourne.

The charity Space Coast Field of Dreams, which fundraised and constructed the 5-acre special-needs sports facility, transferred the buildings, ballfields and other property and its financial assets to city ownership after a December 2018 City Council vote.

Per contract, the nonprofit was to keep $25,000 for future fundraising activities and mission-related expenses, then continue fundraising and transfer donations to the city for at least five more years. But now, the nonprofit is no longer licensed as a charitable organization with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which regulates charities.

Why? The nonprofit's recent application did not include required financial documents, Jessica Kelleher, the agency's deputy communications director, said in an email. The department sent a notice on April 5 explaining the deficiency in the application, but no response was received. So the application was denied on May 30, Kelleher said.

Council Member John Dittmore questioned the nonprofit's status and contractual obligations to the city. Rockledge attorney Robyn Hattaway, who was retained by Space Coast Field of Dreams following the May 16 City Council meeting, said she is working to correct the state registration error and collect fiscal records for review. She said the nonprofit wants to renew its partnership with the city.

"We want to work together with the city to find solutions in the future and return this park to the jewel it once was," Hattaway told council members.

After Tuesday's meeting, Space Coast Field of Dreams President P.J. McLoughlin called the vote "a good first step" in addressing capital needs at the complex. He has served as president for five months, and he said the charitable-organization filing mistake was an oversight. He said the nonprofit has had three presidents, three treasurers and three secretaries the past six years.

Rhode said the city received 13 applicants for the vacant parks director's position, and interviews will happen soon. Assistant City Manager Tom Bradford said a parks maintenance worker will be certified as a playground safety inspector to formally document conditions at city parks on a regular basis.

Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1

Support local journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Space Coast Field of Dreams special-needs park could be restored