BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — A lot of emotion filled the Boynton Beach City Council meeting on Tuesday night as dozens of angry parents showed up, expressing concerns about the future of a Little League program that's been around for decades.
East Boynton Beach Little League has been a part of the community for more than 70 years and made it to the Little League World Series in 2003.
The league uses a park off of Woolbright Road to host practice.
The team filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming the facility's largest field was shut down just days before the start of the season.
The Boynton Beach City Council said it's partnering with a developer to make renovations and upgrades, and the project has been in the works for months. The city said it's been in contact with East Boynton Beach Little League about providing different fields for the team to play on while the construction project plays out.
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Little League field closure draws ire of parents ahead of opening day
However, team leaders disputed that Tuesday night, saying other fields are not a viable alternative.
"We weren't even notified," one of the league's board members said. "We would have told our parents and our community, 'Hey, this is what's going on.' But we didn't know."
"I wasn't sure if I was going to come tonight," another parent added. "He wanted to come. These are his senior teammates up here looking at you and asking, 'Why are you doing this to them?' They want to know why. Why is it so important for this turf field to be built right now?"
"It's embarrassing that you have children out here telling you what you're doing is wrong," another parent echoed. "So, please, do the right thing and get rid of these contracts and support the parents and the kids."
The first phase of the construction project that started all of this controversy is expected to wrap up by late August. That means it will continue through the remainder of the Little League season.
East Boynton Beach Little League has previously told WPTV it wants more communication with the city. Team leaders said they were under the impression the facility would be upgraded during the offseason.
They are hoping some sort of compromise can be worked out that will allow the team to continue playing this season.