Hello everyone: On Wednesday, August 31 at 9 a.m., the city Development Review Board will again hold a hearing on the stadium plat changes. The purpose is to consider the plat changes in order to proceed with the West Side Stadium and sports complex that is planned for the area, as well as to one day build the K through 8 education complex for the area. The Memorandum of Understanding that the board lacked at the last meeting is now complete and will be presented. We hope for a yes vote from the Board and your letters in support of the stadium would be appreciated. (THIS MEETING IS NOT WHETHER TO APPROVE THE STADIUM! IT'S ABOUT HOW THE LAND WILL BE USED!) You may write a letter of support to Chairman Jack Cloud and other committee members. Here is the link to find their email addresses: http://www.cabq.gov/planning/drb/index.html Consider the FACTS towards the end of this email. I have done months of work and research to come up with my conclusions. I have been forthright and honest in my endeavor and I hope you will consider the attached documents carefully. 1. Stadium concept_no fields.pdf: This document shows what will happen if the plat change is denied. The stadium will be built and the landowner can proceed with plans for commercial and high-density residential in the portion of the land that would have had tennis courts and softball fields. 2. Latest Site Plan: This pdf shows what the entire area will be developed as if the DRB approves the changes. 3. Myths vs. Facts. The myths are verbatim the actual claims made in emails/documents that have been spread by opponents. Moderator's Note: I have uploaded three drawings mentioned in this communication. They can be found in the "files" section: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Volcano_Vista_HS/files/ Thanks,
Kathy
Myth: "If another stadium is not built, the millions of dollars needed to pay off the bonds is lifted off of the backs of already struggling tax payers. If a stadium is to be built, we have three sites on the West Side better suited just from an infrastructure investment stand point."
Fact: The West Side Stadium will be funded through Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCBS) that are project specific and the district must adhere to strict guidelines with regard to how the QSCBS are spent. The funding – which will pay for the entire build project -- cannot be used for other projects and there would be a considerable cost/penalty for refunding the QSCBS if the district were to decide it no longer wanted to build the stadium. These QSCB bonds are 0% interest bonds. Upkeep of the West Side Stadium will/can be funded with a combination of mill levy monies, operational funds and athletic funds (gate receipts). All other sites that were considered in the past fell through for a variety of reasons. The stadium site will be expanded as APS continues to work with the city and the city eyes the area for future fields. With city and APS monies working together, we anticipate this to be an aesthetically pleasing area.
Myth: The neighborhoods surrounding the stadium will see their property values significantly impacted.
Fact: The landowner has two developers waiting to purchase some lots north of Stormcloud 1-3 once the APS purchase goes through. The sports complex will add value to the properties and add more interest for future site growth.
Myth: A committee of citizens was endorsed by APS.
Fact: This committee was formed as an effort to allay fears with facts. It was a good-faith effort by Dr. Brad Winter and Board Member Kathy Korte to ease concerns by providing data and facts. It was also supposed to be an effort to spread those facts and data to the rest of the neighborhood by means of the committee going out and educating people. The APS Board of Education never endorsed the committee, nor did the APS administration, even though both knew Dr. Winter and Ms. Korte were making this effort.
Myth: The committee was formed so that APS could meet the neighborhood in the middle: to compromise and negotiate so that both parties can be happy.
Fact: It was never a committee to compromise and negotiate in terms of moving the stadium to a different location. What resulted from the committee: concerns were raised and those concerns will be addressed as the project moves forward. Not everyone will be happy with every local/state/school project that comes up. That is not reality.
Myth: Dr. Winter and Kathy Korte are traveling to Boston in October to speak at a conference about how they created Dr. Winter's Citizen's Committee to work with our neighborhood and compromise so that everyone can be happy.
Fact: We are traveling to Boston and our presentation is about how districts can communicate with their constituents and Board Member Korte and Dr. Winter are using the communication tools in the stadium effort as examples of how APS reached out.
Myth: Schools won't be built for 10 years.
Fact: If growth continues as it has on the West Side, APS' capital master plan could well be updated as the need for schools becomes apparent in the area. So schools could be built sooner.
Myth: The current traffic study is inadequate. It was completed in June. Results indicate there are no problems at the I-40/Unser Blvd Exit.
Fact: The preliminary traffic study (attached) says: "(I-40 and 98th) … is an existing deficiency that exists regardless of the construction of the APS Stadium. … APS will continue to work with the neighborhood to ask that the DOT address the known interstate deficiency." (see study)
Myth: Extra lanes traffic, traffic lights, traffic signs and additional on/off ramps from I-40 can only be added if they are "warranted."
Fact: Traffic report says: "These improvements have been agreed to by all parties and are depicted on the attached Figure 3." See report for the list of improvements to be made.
Myth: APS has stressed many times that the stadium will only host about 50 events per year. Although, on the surface, this sounds like a good thing- it's not. If the stadium only hosts 50 events per year, this will not be enough to adequately "warrant" additional on/off ramps, traffic lights, etc. Our neighborhood will suffer. According to the traffic engineer who attended our last committee meeting, someone often has to die (in a traffic related accident) to warrant the city to widen a road, put in a stop light, etc.
Fact: This is absolutely false. Read the attached traffic report and notice the traffic improvements to be made to the area while the stadium is built. The traffic improvements will total around $20 million, with much of the cost picked up by APS and some to be picked up by the landowner/developer.
Myth: A traffic study should have been done during the school year- NOT during a long summer holiday for APS.
Fact: This will not help as there is no school out there right now and the traffic study was done to address the stadium issue.
Myth: We are requesting a traffic study of Milne during a few large events.
Fact: Milne and Wilson traffic was factored in as a basis of what to expect at the West Side stadium. Games at both stadiums were looked at. See traffic study attached for details.
Myth: We do not wish to repeat the major problems at Volcano Vista High School. The I-25 debacle is another good example of poor city planning. By the time it was opened to the public, it was insufficient for public needs.
Fact: VVHS problems were mitigated, with $625,000 in traffic improvements completed by the start of the 2011-12 school year. Not every problem can be anticipated. But as problems arise once the stadium is built, those problems can be brought to the district's attention and the district will work in good faith to fix problems and ease concerns.
Myth: We have asked if our property taxes will be raised or if our homes will be reassessed in the city's favor to pay for this project once APS runs out of money (which is very likely).
Fact: As long as voters continue to approve APS bond and mill levy elections, then APS capital money is reoccurring money that won't "run out."
Myth: We remain concerned about added crime since APD has no budget money for added patrols and APS police have limited jurisdiction to APS property only.
Fact: APS police will respond to crime reports at the stadium and be in force when there are APS events. Any existing deficiencies with APD patrols in the area can be addressed with the Southwest Area commander of APD.
Myth: We remain concerned about inadequate water pressure. The stadium and sports complex are scheduled to borrow from us. No one at the DRB or APS has ever acknowledged our water pressure issue.
Fact: Residents and the stadium will use different main lines, according to the DRB hearing this week. And a Development Review Board member who represents ABCWUA on the DRB committee told opponents that if there is a water pressure issue, residents should contact ABCWUA for assistance.
Myth: We remain concerned about traffic, crime, noise, stadium and parking lot lighting, as well as the impeded view of Petroglyph National Monument (since the stadium is currently planned for an official View Area of the monument).
Fact: The project and future growth is occurring on land that can be developed, and as we know from 2010 census figures, the West Side is where that growth is occurring. APS continues to follow all rules concerning building on any land, and that includes a study of the land to make sure no artifacts are in the area.
Myth: We are concerned about noise. Our area has been proven one of the noisiest areas in the city.
Fact: No bona fide study from a local, state or federal agency has been presented to prove this point. The stadium will be built as a bowl so that light and noise are concentrated in the stadium and down on the field.
Myth: We are concerned about public safety. As of now, only one (one lane) entrance and one (one lane) exit is planned for the stadium and sports complex.
Fact: False. Two exits (in/out) are planned and a third exit leading directly onto Ladera Drive is also planned.
Myth: APS rejected the 16 requests made by the committee.
Fact: The committee submitted 14 requests and/or questions. Of the 14, six were actual requests for action. Of those six:
1. A request that the stadium and track field be combined. This cannot happen as the track field will be grass for javelin and discus and the football field will be artificial turf for water conservation. Stadium seating will be concentrated around the football field only and the stadium seating in the middle of both fields will serve both fields. (The track field will not be surrounded by stadium seating.)
2. A request for a neighborhood board to help approve sports activities at the complex. The complex is APS property and therefore APS will decide which events are held there – but No concerts are planned!
3. A request for a perimeter wall around the complex to discourage parking along the main thoroughfares and not in the parking lot. APS said no to a perimeter wall. Upon further discussion with a few residents who clarified the request, APS will work to ensure that people are parking in the parking lots only and not taking shortcuts through residential neighborhoods before or after games. That can be ensured with No Parking signs, landscaping and other means.
4. A request that roads around the property at 118th, Ladera and Arroyo Vista be completed. APS and the landowner said the roads will be developed as the adjacent land develops. Arroyo Vista and the intersection of Tierra Pintada will be widened and Arroyo Vista will be extended to the west property line of the stadium. Tierra Pintada will be extended to Unser.
5. A request that parking be placed toward the back of the future schools. APS said no to that request as the schools haven't even been designed yet and this is a premature question.
6. A request for 2 driveways/roads south of the stadium leading to Ladera so Ladera and 98th can be made into one-way streets during major events. The developer will make one driveway going toward Ladera but traffic analysis shows that one-way traffic will not be needed. It is also not allowed to turn city streets into one-ways during special events.
Myth: Dr. Winter and Board Member Kathy Korte have steamrolled the committee.
Fact: Discussions with the committee have ended but they continue with other residents living near the stadium site. Dr. Winter and Ms. Korte continue to take questions via email and if warranted, those questions will be posted on the www.aps.edu web site as well.
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