Pollard faces neighborhood tonight about new sports complex

[Tornado man]

I don't know about soccer and softball, but there is no chance in hell Iowa State gets any NCAA track events.

Right, the new soccer/softball/track facilities will be functional and at least up to Div. I standards, but certainly nothing fancy. I just hope there are at least locker/shower facilities planned at the site.

[alarson]

I've never seen a city that is its own worst enemy more than Ames

Indeed. Ames really has missed out on a lot due to its anti-growth policies, and what development it has allowed has been extremely haphazard (Duff from 30 to Lincoln and Lincoln from Duff to Grand is all a giant mess)

[theshadow]

I don't know about soccer and softball, but there is no chance in hell Iowa State gets any NCAA track events.

Not with Drake so close, no. But if the NCAA goes back to more regional events (they cut back from 4 to 2 recently), anything is possible.

At any rate, if you're building from scratch, you HAVE to design your facility in such a way that it meets Big 12 and NCAA standards for hosting championship events. Otherwise, you're wasting time and money, and then throwing good money after bad in order to play catch-up.

[IcSyU]

Not with Drake so close, no. But if the NCAA goes back to more regional events (they cut back from 4 to 2 recently), anything is possible.

At any rate, if you're building from scratch, you HAVE to design your facility in such a way that it meets Big 12 and NCAA standards for hosting championship events. Otherwise, you're wasting time and money, and then throwing good money after bad in order to play catch-up.

I totally agree with you, just saying no chance in hell we get anything track-wise.

[iahawkhunter]

Your comment is, to put it mildly, uninformed. People in the south Campus area have some legitimate questions to ask about noise (playing music over the loudspeakers during softball practices where the sound carries for blocks is noise pollution to some), about lights on both the soccer and softball areas (the Univ. in the past had to dim the lights and shorten the hours at Veeneker because of excessive late night lighting), and about water runoff (the excess water from the fields bordering Ash and Storm streets flooded the eight hundred block of Ash this summer, and people are afraid that the increase in impermeable surfaces will add to the problem.). Actually some of the residents wonder why all this expense in the first place (over 10 million) when there will be few track fans or soccer hooligans because attendance at these events has always been minimal. Is some of this NIMBYism? Probably, but there are legitimate concerns; the area chosen is surrounded on three sides by residential neighborhoods, unlike the Southwest Complex several blocks to the west.

I was using hyperbole just like the knee-jerk reactions of the comments linked in the OP. Noise/light/drainage concerns as you describe them here are legitimate issues with which to be dealt. The comments in the OP link seemed to be a lot of old codgers complaining about change. That was the target of my sarcasm, not legitimate concerns.

[Kitkat]

I was using hyperbole just like the knee-jerk reactions of the comments linked in the OP. Noise/light/drainage concerns as you describe them here are legitimate issues with which to be dealt. The comments in the OP link seemed to be a lot of old codgers complaining about change. That was the target of my sarcasm, not legitimate concerns.

Well, I will grant that there are some who just dislike change, especially if they think it is change for the worst. There was one instance of jumping to conclusions: some people saw marks on trees both on and off campus; they assumed that these were trees slated to be cut down for the new complex; actually the marks were made by FEMA workers who were marking the trees for pruning, etc. They did this as part of the cleanup from the August floods. But most people were level-headed about the issue, which is a complex one (no pun intended). The meeting tonight at the Towers dining hall was heavily attended and lots of issues were discussed, cordially for the most part. The U. (Warren Madden was the moderator) will discuss the issues raised by the neighborhood and keep the neighbors up on later developments.

[Kitkat]

Noise pollution - Very few softball/track events take place at night. Soccer matches are over before 10 p.m., and the night matches are on Fridays anyway.

Lighting - If soccer gets over before 10, lights would likely be off by 10:30 (again, on a Friday). Softball needs lights mostly in the case of weather delays, since their games are typically late afternoon in March/April. Any delays, and you run the risk of not being able to finish a game due to darkness. Night games in Ames at that time of year aren't a great idea because of temperatures.

Drainage - Is the issue with the berm along Ash (that's been in place for years)?

Well then we agree that the problems, at least as I see them, are solvable, including the noise one that I mentioned. This complaint, as I understood it, had to do with playing loud music over the loudspeakers during softball practice and not with anything else. Agree that night games for softball are impractical.

[Kitkat]

Noise pollution - Very few softball/track events take place at night. Soccer matches are over before 10 p.m., and the night matches are on Fridays anyway.

Lighting - If soccer gets over before 10, lights would likely be off by 10:30 (again, on a Friday). Softball needs lights mostly in the case of weather delays, since their games are typically late afternoon in March/April. Any delays, and you run the risk of not being able to finish a game due to darkness. Night games in Ames at that time of year aren't a great idea because of temperatures.

Drainage - Is the issue with the berm along Ash (that's been in place for years)?

Yes, it is mostly the runoff around the berm (the berm ends about fifty feet short of the end of the U.'s property where there is a driveway entry for maintenance vehicles) that floods both the south end of Ash as well as running down Country Club, sometimes in torrents. The feeling is that there is not enough underground pipe to handle the current runoff, never mind the increased amount that may run off due to the new complex's design. Then there is the Storm St. issue: ironically there is no storm sewer on most of Storm St., but that street is slated for rebuilding next summer, so the problem may be addressed then. I simply don't know the extent of the city's plans.

[SCNCY]

Well, I will grant that there are some who just dislike change, especially if they think it is change for the worst. There was one instance of jumping to conclusions: some people saw marks on trees both on and off campus; they assumed that these were trees slated to be cut down for the new complex; actually the marks were made by FEMA workers who were marking the trees for pruning, etc. They did this as part of the cleanup from the August floods. But most people were level-headed about the issue, which is a complex one (no pun intended). The meeting tonight at the Towers dining hall was heavily attended and lots of issues were discussed, cordially for the most part. The U. (Warren Madden was the moderator) will discuss the issues raised by the neighborhood and keep the neighbors up later developments.

It sounds like you went to the meeting. And as above you stated that everything was discussed cordially. However the Ames Trib has this story on the subject and says that people in the neighborhood were angered and it sounded like a hostile meeting by reading the second paragraph. Is this an over exaggeration by the Ames Trib?

Ames Tribune > Ames Tribune > News

[Tornado man]

Sounds like residents were a little angry, according to the Ames Trib:

Ames Tribune > Ames Tribune > News

"Over 150 campus area residents met with Iowa State University officials tonight to discuss the future of a proposed $10.7 million sports complex that would house Iowa State University’s soccer, track and softball in the field east of the Towers residence hall.

The crowd was openly hostile to Vice President Warren Madden and Athletics Director Jamie Pollard over the lack of notification about the plans to build at that location.

ISU received the go-ahead in October from the state Board of Regents to proceed with the planning and design phase of the project, set to begin construction in June.

Residents expressed concern about storm-sewer drainage in the area, set-backs from residential housing, fencing, and aesthetics at the meeting. They also were angered that they found out about the project from a surveyor working in the area, rather than through communication from the university.

The plans for a new pavilion for the university’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences was also introduced at the meeting, but met with little objection. That project is expected to cost $7 million and will be located at the southwest corner of Mortenson Road and Gateway Hills Drive. No expected start date for construction on the pavilion has been announced."

[Tornado man]

It sounds like you went to the meeting. And as above you stated that everything was discussed cordially. However the Ames Trib has this story on the subject and says that people in the neighborhood were angered and it sounded like a hostile meeting by reading the second paragraph. Is this an over exaggeration by the Ames Trib?

Good question - I would also be interested in Kitkat's (or anyone else who was there) response to the Tribune reporter's take on tonight's meeting.

[Kitkat]

Noise pollution - Very few softball/track events take place at night. Soccer matches are over before 10 p.m., and the night matches are on Fridays anyway.

Lighting - If soccer gets over before 10, lights would likely be off by 10:30 (again, on a Friday). Softball needs lights mostly in the case of weather delays, since their games are typically late afternoon in March/April. Any delays, and you run the risk of not being able to finish a game due to darkness. Night games in Ames at that time of year aren't a great idea because of temperatures.

Drainage - Is the issue with the berm along Ash (that's been in place for years)?

Yes, it is mostly the runoff around the berm (the berm ends about fifty feet short of the end of the U.'s property where there is a driveway entry for maintenance vehicles) that floods both the south end of Ash as well as running down Country Club, sometimes in torrents. The feeling is that there is not enough underground pipe to handle the current runoff, never mind the increased amount that may run off due to the new complex's design. Then there is the Storm St. issue: ironically there is no storm sewer on most of Storm St., but that street is slated for rebuilding next summer, so the problem may be addressed then. I simply don't know the extent of the city's plans.

[Cyfan1843]

Sounds like the residents over there had a lot to complain about nothing and everything will be address and heaven for bid the area might be nicer?

[Frak]

Not with Drake so close, no. But if the NCAA goes back to more regional events (they cut back from 4 to 2 recently), anything is possible.

At any rate, if you're building from scratch, you HAVE to design your facility in such a way that it meets Big 12 and NCAA standards for hosting championship events. Otherwise, you're wasting time and money, and then throwing good money after bad in order to play catch-up.

Even if they are not talking about a NCAA meet, how about a Big 12 meet? And I'm not even saying Big 12 Championships...how about a regular home Big 12 track meet or an ISU invitational? They can't even do that now. Ames High has a better track than ISU does. I think the need is there.

As for the actual neighborhood, to me, that is a joke. People SHOULD know what type of neighborhood they are moving into. I understand being concerned about lights and music during practice, but it's not like they'll be practicing into the night and blaring music while doing it. The whole neighborhood is basically an eyesore anyway. I don't know why any family would want to live right in the middle of a sea of students. They need to raze the other two towers and put up some nice dorms plus start working on Campustown.

[theshadow]

how about a regular home Big 12 track meet or an ISU invitational? They can't even do that now.

Other than USC/UCLA, I can't think of any collegiate track meets conducted in a "dual" format. You could try a "Big Four" instate meet, but I don't know if the coaches would go for that.

The hurdles (yes, that's intentional) to having an invitational are finding a weekend that's not already occupied by a notable event somewhere else, and finding teams willing to participate.

April 1-2 - Missouri
April 6-9 - Texas
April 14-16 - Mt. Sac / Jim Duncan
April 20-23 - Kansas
April 28-30 - Drake
(May 5-7 is out because of Finals)
May 13-15 - Big 12