Dr. Paul Winistorfer, Dean of the College of Natural Resources and Environment (CNRE), arranged a meeting of individuals concerned about the building location (Drs. Jeff Kirwan, Eric Wiseman, and John Seiler) along with representatives from Athletics (Tom Gabbard) and University Planning (Hugh Latimer and Matt Gart). The meeting was held on December 15, 2011, in the Merryman Center followed by a walk into Stadium Woods to examine the impacted area.
Hugh Latimer began the meeting with a discussion of the history of the facility planning. The original intent was to locate the facility along Washington Street, which would then result in a string of athletic facilities beginning with Cassell Coliseum, continuing with the indoor basketball practice facility, and the yet-to-be-built indoor football practice facility. This land along Washington Street is identified in the University Master Plan as “Athletics.” Due to a sequence of events not made entirely clear in the meeting, the basketball facility was built first, next to Cassell Coliseum. It was further explained that the basketball facility was located further away from Cassell than originally planned due to fiber optic cables. This ultimately would push a football facility closer to town.
Reasoning was then given as to why the location along Washington Street was not suitable for the football practice facility. The rationale included: Dr. Steger once commented that the practice facility would not be an appropriate sort of building for Washington Street; more time would be required to move an outdoor football practice if it had to be relocated due to a change in weather; and the tennis courts would be lost. Given these reasons, Stadium Woods was then identified as the location. A discussion countering these reasons included the following: any building can be designed to look attractive; Washington Street is not a major entrance for campus; the difference in time to move a practice to the Stadium Woods location versus the Washington Street location is about 1 minute, which is very minimal considering the total amount of time it takes to suddenly relocate a practice; and new tennis courts are planned as shown in the University Master Plan.
Dr. Seiler then asked Mr. Gabbard if the actual reason why Stadium Woods was selected as the location was because “Coach Beamer wants it there.” Mr Gabbard did not answer the question. It was also asked if we could meet with Coach Beamer, and Mr. Gabbard commented “you are meeting with us.” Storm water retention was then discussed briefly. It was pointed out that moving from a land use of mature forest (Stadium Woods) to an impervious surface (new building) is a worst-case scenario for storm water planning. The Washington Street location is already a largely impervious surface requiring minimal mitigation. The claim was made that existing infrastructure located near Stadium Woods can handle the storm water and that no further land would be used for new storm water retention ponds.
There was also a discussion about the nature of the impact zone on the trees. Athletics and University Planning showed a building footprint plus 40 feet on all sides, which results in approximately 3 acres. Dr. Wiseman (Urban Forestry expert) and others stressed that this is not a fair distance from the building. Mature, large trees such as those found in Stadium Woods have root systems that require protection of a minimum of 60 feet from their trunks. The foot print shown and 3 acre number also does not include area for parking, access, or dumpsters. Further, staging areas for construction require areas typically as large as building footprints. University Planning indicated the staging for this building would be across Washington Street with access to the construction between Cassell Coliseum and the basketball practice facility. Others in the meeting questioned how staging for such a large project could be across a busy street and how large vehicles would drive between two buildings on a steep slope.
We then moved outdoors and walked through Stadium Woods discussing the ecology and pointing out the numerous centuries-old trees and structure of an old-growth forest. The meeting ended with no resolution, tasks, charges, or plans for future discussions.
Hugh Latimer began the meeting with a discussion of the history of the facility planning. The original intent was to locate the facility along Washington Street, which would then result in a string of athletic facilities beginning with Cassell Coliseum, continuing with the indoor basketball practice facility, and the yet-to-be-built indoor football practice facility. This land along Washington Street is identified in the University Master Plan as “Athletics.” Due to a sequence of events not made entirely clear in the meeting, the basketball facility was built first, next to Cassell Coliseum. It was further explained that the basketball facility was located further away from Cassell than originally planned due to fiber optic cables. This ultimately would push a football facility closer to town.
Reasoning was then given as to why the location along Washington Street was not suitable for the football practice facility. The rationale included: Dr. Steger once commented that the practice facility would not be an appropriate sort of building for Washington Street; more time would be required to move an outdoor football practice if it had to be relocated due to a change in weather; and the tennis courts would be lost. Given these reasons, Stadium Woods was then identified as the location. A discussion countering these reasons included the following: any building can be designed to look attractive; Washington Street is not a major entrance for campus; the difference in time to move a practice to the Stadium Woods location versus the Washington Street location is about 1 minute, which is very minimal considering the total amount of time it takes to suddenly relocate a practice; and new tennis courts are planned as shown in the University Master Plan.
Dr. Seiler then asked Mr. Gabbard if the actual reason why Stadium Woods was selected as the location was because “Coach Beamer wants it there.” Mr Gabbard did not answer the question. It was also asked if we could meet with Coach Beamer, and Mr. Gabbard commented “you are meeting with us.” Storm water retention was then discussed briefly. It was pointed out that moving from a land use of mature forest (Stadium Woods) to an impervious surface (new building) is a worst-case scenario for storm water planning. The Washington Street location is already a largely impervious surface requiring minimal mitigation. The claim was made that existing infrastructure located near Stadium Woods can handle the storm water and that no further land would be used for new storm water retention ponds.
There was also a discussion about the nature of the impact zone on the trees. Athletics and University Planning showed a building footprint plus 40 feet on all sides, which results in approximately 3 acres. Dr. Wiseman (Urban Forestry expert) and others stressed that this is not a fair distance from the building. Mature, large trees such as those found in Stadium Woods have root systems that require protection of a minimum of 60 feet from their trunks. The foot print shown and 3 acre number also does not include area for parking, access, or dumpsters. Further, staging areas for construction require areas typically as large as building footprints. University Planning indicated the staging for this building would be across Washington Street with access to the construction between Cassell Coliseum and the basketball practice facility. Others in the meeting questioned how staging for such a large project could be across a busy street and how large vehicles would drive between two buildings on a steep slope.
We then moved outdoors and walked through Stadium Woods discussing the ecology and pointing out the numerous centuries-old trees and structure of an old-growth forest. The meeting ended with no resolution, tasks, charges, or plans for future discussions.
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