Jays – What about the Kids?

When the Blue Jays conduct workouts at their new Field One they are limited as to what they can do.  Back in February 2020 batted balls during BP left the park and one struck a county school board employee mowing the county parking lot for Garrison-Jones Elementary School.  On the right field side of field one is the school’s playground so the Pinellas County School Board has limited the Blue Jays use of the field.  The new construction of field one, the adjacent half field and the artificial turf field two have blocked the entrance to the school used by elementary students coming to the school from the east side of the complex.  Those students now have to travel upwards of a mile farther everyday just to get to school.  The school children used to be able to walk or ride their bikes through the Louis A. Vanech Park to get to school but City of Dunedin officials gave the resident owned park to the Blue Jays.  According to school employees the construction of the artificial turf field two at the complex caused a retention pond to be moved and now during heavy rains in the area part of the schools rear grass playground get flooded.  Also it doesn’t appear there will be any parking spaces available for fans to be able to park and view spring training workouts.  Now if this all isn’t bad enough it appears that the Blue Jays will be blocking school children at Garrison-Jones who have to approach their school from the south to cross onto the west side walk of Garrison Road.  You see the Blue Jays have said traffic entering the new minor league complex on the east side of Garrison Road will be a hazard to the children.  A question now is why the Blue Jays weren’t concerned about this situation in the past when construction equipment was entering and leaving the site.  Also added to this problem is the fact that the Pinellas County School Board will now have to add a crosswalk with a crossing guard when the children arrive and leave school.  Who will pay for that eh?