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Westlake baseball center OK'd
STORY TOOLS 
More from Conejo ValleyThe national pastime is coming to Westlake Village.
The Westlake Village City Council voted 5-0 Tuesday night to issue a permit for an indoor batting-cage facility in a business park at 31285 Via Colinas.
Former pro baseball player Glen Reyes told the council that his business, Hitting Zone Westlake, will feature five batting cages, a pitching area and one-on-one instruction by current and former major league players.
"It will be a big-league-style hitting facility," Reyes said.
Hitting Zone Westlake won't be a traditional batting-cage business, he said. It will offer training programs for different ages and abilities, from children to professional athletes.
Individual instruction by appointment will be given during the day, with the batting cages and pitching area open to a wider group of customers after 5 p.m.
Council members expressed optimism about the project, with members Bob Slavin and Philippa Klessig saying they felt there is a demand for this type of business.
Despite some concerns over parking, city officials said the center's peak business hours will be in the evening and on weekends.
"It's great to find a use that won't compete with the parking demands we have," Slavin said.
Reyes' four-year career in professional baseball included stints with farm teams of the Houston Astros and the Montreal Expos. Now he is a part-time scout for the Astros, he said.
He and other former and current Major League Baseball players will be available to provide one-on-one instruction focused on "running, throwing and hitting mechanics," Reyes said.
Opportunities for young athletes to talk to major league players about baseball and their experiences also will be a feature of the company's programs, he said.
"I hope to provide something for all of Ventura County — a big-league experience people will want to come back to," Reyes said.
He said he holds a bachelor's degree in exercise science and kinesiology — the scientific study of human movement. Through digital photography, he plans to offer his clients a biomechanical analysis that can result in fewer injuries, "more speed and better mechanics," he said.
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