After four years of negotiations, River Hills Road homeowners and Western Hills Little League have reached a compromise that will provide additional baseball and field sport opportunities through increased field space for area youth.

Corporate landowner Tires Made Easy donated 15 acres of the 86.7-acre River Hills Road tract to WHLL. WHLL will develop four sports fields on the tract, including two baseball fields and two fields dedicated to general field sports, WHLL President Chris Ellis said.

Also under the terms of the agreement, Eanes ISD will lease Tract 1 of the Baldwin property off Bee Caves Road to WHLL for youth sports field development. This 27.4-acre tract will feature five athletic fields to be primarily used for baseball, Ellis said. The 12 Fields Foundation, a nonprofit organization formed by WHLL, Westlake Youth Soccer Association and Westlake Pop Warner, will raise funds through supporters to donate to EISD to improve three additional sport EISD fields, he said.

EISD will determine which fields have the greatest need for improvement by forming a subcommittee to research the topic and gather community input, said Mike Dealy, 12 Fields Foundation executive director.

The new plan, adopted Nov. 3, includes fields incorporating less lighting than the plan’s previous versions that caused nearby residents to be concerned about the project’s added traffic and light pollution.

“I’ve been impressed with the [EISD] school board and the neighborhoods for their commitment to working together to find a solution that works,” Dealy said. “For the community I think this is a great step– especially for the kids.”

Dealy said the increased number of fields and improved fields will allow leagues to grow and may provide a shorter commute for parents who are transporting their children to and from sports practices.

“The motivation [to find a solution] for everyone was the kids,” he said. “We wanted the kids to experience the benefits of an active lifestyle, community and camaraderie.”

Ellis said the goal is to break ground on both properties within 12 months and be operational in 24 months.

“Essentially, I see three separate components of this project moving together,” Dealy said. “Eanes is comprising a committee to provide input for which [three EISD] fields should be improved, and that timeline will depend on school usage schedules. We’ll be at different stages at different times, but this will all be happening simultaneously.”

Dealy said permitting and developing site plans are the next steps in the process for the nine new sports fields.