BUTLER TWP — The township’s zoning hearing board again delayed a decision on a proposed sports complex.

Matt Clement, a former major league baseball pitcher and the current Butler High School basketball coach, and his partner, Daryl Patten, asked board members to continue to delay their decision on a variance for a proposed sports complex to be built on Butler Road behind the Highfield Community Association’s ball fields.

Board member Tom Holman said the board will continue the variance ruling, dealing with the height of the complex’s building. However, the board has no meeting scheduled for July. The next meeting date will be announced later.

Although the partners have been working on the project for almost three years and have received a $500,000 state grant to build the complex, the proposal ran into opposition at a hearing in February from a number of residents of the Highfield neighborhood.

Many are against the complex of indoor sports fields and practice areas, saying the commercial enterprise will disrupt the neighborhood by adding more traffic and by bringing in strangers.

Clement says the complex would benefit youth sports that don’t have enough space to practice in school district facilities.

Clement could not be reached for comment on the continuing delay or on a sports complex that has been proposed for Buffalo Township that would include indoor and outdoor baseball/softball, soccer/lacrosse fields and how that might impact his project.