Neighbors frustrated over baseballs flying into windows, homes from nearby school

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Neighbors say living behind the Chamblee High School baseball field puts their homes and lives in danger.

Several neighbors say the nets around the field aren’t high enough, and baseballs have been shattering their car windows and causing hundreds of dollars in damage.

“I’m really concerned that someone could get hit in the head with a baseball,” said Valerie Moyer, who lives on Spring Street behind Chamblee High School.

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Moyer told Channel 2 Action News that a baseball first shattered the back window of her boyfriend’s car in 2020. Last month, a baseball smashed into her side mirror. She had to pay $800 to fix it.

“No one will accept any liability for it,” Moyer said.

She says she reached out to the Dekalb County School District and was told she had to pay for repairs herself because the school district does not purchase liability insurance that would cover it.

“I feel like it’s negligence on their part,” Moyer said. “We can’t just sit here and wait for balls to break our glass.”

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New nets were installed around the ballpark about two months ago, and the district purchased a hitting turtle to help, but Moyer says it’s not enough.

“I was walking down the street two weeks ago, and the balls sailed over the net on Mendenhall and bounced 5 feet away from us from where we were walking,” Moyer said.

Pat Mahoney lives nearby and says it happened to her too.

“We live here, and we want to have a good relationship with the school, and we feel the school should protect our rights as property owners as well,” Mahoney said. “We have thankfully not been struck yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”

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In a statement, Dekalb County School District spokesperson Carla Parker wrote:

“In response to feedback from area homeowners, DCSD extended netting down the first baseline. Recently, additional requests have been received to add additional netting in both the home plate and third base areas. Repairs of this nature must be handled through a competitive bid procedure due to the anticipated costs of the improvements. The district is currently working through this process.”

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