Flower Mound Leader > News
Residents voice concern about location of FMHS athletic fields
By Chris Roark, croark@starlocalnews.com
The concept plan for the new ninth-grade centers for Marcus and Flower Mound high schools has received praise by many residents in Flower Mound.
The relocation of some athletic facilities to make room for FMHS' center ... not so much.
Several residents attended an informal meeting Thursday night at the Bolin Administrative Center in Lewisville to hear the plans for the two centers.
The LISD Board of Trustees is expected to vote on the project in January. If approved, onstruction could begin in the spring of 2013, and completion is expected in June of 2014.
Among the discussion points was the proposed location for the baseball and softball fields, as well as the tennis courts, at FMHS. To make room for the ninth-grade center, which will be connected to the existing campus, those sports facilities will be relocated to the property directly across the street from FMHS on Peter's Colony Road.
Residents living in adjacent neighborhoods said the noise and the lights will be a problem.
"We can already hear the announcements from the stadium inside our house, and that's with the doors and windows closed," said resident Edward Luttenberger. "During baseball games, they play music between every batter. Plus, the lights will shine inside our homes. This is the worst place for these fields."
Luttenberger wasn't alone. Other residents shared similar concerns.
"My property touches the [proposed] outfield wall for the baseball field," said resident Stephanie McQueen. "There is going to be a 70-foot light poll 25 feet away from my property. There will be three fields literally in my back yard. I live half a mile away, and I can still hear the noise at Flower Mound High School."
However, Lewisville ISD officials and representatives from PBK Architects insisted that the noise and light issues will be addressed.
"The town of Flower Mound has strict requirements, so we're going to meet, and exceed when we can, those requirements," said Irene Nigaglioni of PBK.
Nigaglioni said the light will be facing away from the homes and that they will also include light shields for further protection.
Nigaglioni also said there will be a 6-foot masonry wall constructed at the property line, and trees will be planted to serve as a buffer. Together, Nigaglioni said, the light will be cut off before it reaches a resident's home. She added that distance from the top of the wall to the closest field is 11 feet.
As far as the sound concerns, Nigaglioni said a properly-designed system should keep noise from reaching the homes.
Dr. Quentin Burnett, the district's chief financial officer, said that Marcus' football stadium had a sound issue originally and that Garden Ridge Elementary had a light issue. But he said that working with engineers resolved both problems, and he said he is confident that noise and sound won't be an issue at FMHS' fields.
Others were concerned with the cost of the project, saying that $11 million of the $33 million project is going toward relocating the tennis courts and the baseball and softball fields, which were recently renovated.
"We're already cut so thin that we can't buy supplies," said an LISD employee. "To spend $11 million unnecessarily is really sad."
However, Nigaglioni and Burnett both denied the claim that the cost to relocate the fields and the tennis courts will be $11 million, adding that estimates haven't been finalized. Nigaglioni also said it's important to factor in the savings the district would have from this project, which includes not having to bus the students to another location.
Residents asked why the ninth-grade campus can't go across the street from FMHS, which could keep the athletic fields where they are.
Burnett said the decision was made after extensive discussion from a charette committee composed of parents, teachers, staff members, HOA members and students.
"If we move the center to another location, then we have bussing issues like we have now with the students at [Lewisville High School] Killough and Harmon campuses getting to Lewisville High School," Burnett said. "So where would we put it? We could put it across [Peters Colony], but then students would be going back and forth across the street. We could build a bridge for the students to walk over, but then we would need a supervisor to oversee it to make sure students actually use it."
Burnett added that another option for the athletic fields was next to Liberty Elementary School, but he said that, too, would cause transportation issues.
The FMHS ninth-grade center would be located southeast of the main building, which would let the classroom wing of the ninth-grade campus tie into the classroom area of the main high school. It would provide for easier transition between class periods.
Nigaglioni said the plan would also allow for a tie-in to the cafeteria area, which would further provide opportunities for a learning hub idea in which students can study and learn in small groups outside of the classroom. Nigaglioni said this concept would be used at the ninth-grade center and in the main building.
The plan calls for the existing parking and drop-off area on Peters Colony Road to remain while adding an additional drop-off area off Old Settlers Road.
Both the Flower Mound and Marcus centers would include a serpentine hallway that creates a learning hub with various learning studios. Each studio would have classrooms, a collaboration area and administration offices. This would be the same format for both levels of the two-story campus.
"It allows for the creation of small areas for small group instruction, individual learning or groups of two, five or 10 students to work together," Nigaglioni said. "So rather than using the hallway other than just for circulation, wed be using it for more than that. Thats why the size of the main hallway would be larger than the standard hallway you would see in the other building."
Other components include a lecture hall, a media center and a cyber cafe.
Each ninth grade center will incorporate outdoor learning to its concept.
Another part to the plan at each campus is a new performing arts addition to the current building.
In addition, a new gymnasium will be constructed at each campus.
For a detailed look at the schematic plans, go to https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?ik=32449936.
The relocation of some athletic facilities to make room for FMHS' center ... not so much.
Several residents attended an informal meeting Thursday night at the Bolin Administrative Center in Lewisville to hear the plans for the two centers.
The LISD Board of Trustees is expected to vote on the project in January. If approved, onstruction could begin in the spring of 2013, and completion is expected in June of 2014.
Among the discussion points was the proposed location for the baseball and softball fields, as well as the tennis courts, at FMHS. To make room for the ninth-grade center, which will be connected to the existing campus, those sports facilities will be relocated to the property directly across the street from FMHS on Peter's Colony Road.
Residents living in adjacent neighborhoods said the noise and the lights will be a problem.
"We can already hear the announcements from the stadium inside our house, and that's with the doors and windows closed," said resident Edward Luttenberger. "During baseball games, they play music between every batter. Plus, the lights will shine inside our homes. This is the worst place for these fields."
Luttenberger wasn't alone. Other residents shared similar concerns.
"My property touches the [proposed] outfield wall for the baseball field," said resident Stephanie McQueen. "There is going to be a 70-foot light poll 25 feet away from my property. There will be three fields literally in my back yard. I live half a mile away, and I can still hear the noise at Flower Mound High School."
However, Lewisville ISD officials and representatives from PBK Architects insisted that the noise and light issues will be addressed.
"The town of Flower Mound has strict requirements, so we're going to meet, and exceed when we can, those requirements," said Irene Nigaglioni of PBK.
Nigaglioni said the light will be facing away from the homes and that they will also include light shields for further protection.
Nigaglioni also said there will be a 6-foot masonry wall constructed at the property line, and trees will be planted to serve as a buffer. Together, Nigaglioni said, the light will be cut off before it reaches a resident's home. She added that distance from the top of the wall to the closest field is 11 feet.
As far as the sound concerns, Nigaglioni said a properly-designed system should keep noise from reaching the homes.
Dr. Quentin Burnett, the district's chief financial officer, said that Marcus' football stadium had a sound issue originally and that Garden Ridge Elementary had a light issue. But he said that working with engineers resolved both problems, and he said he is confident that noise and sound won't be an issue at FMHS' fields.
Others were concerned with the cost of the project, saying that $11 million of the $33 million project is going toward relocating the tennis courts and the baseball and softball fields, which were recently renovated.
"We're already cut so thin that we can't buy supplies," said an LISD employee. "To spend $11 million unnecessarily is really sad."
However, Nigaglioni and Burnett both denied the claim that the cost to relocate the fields and the tennis courts will be $11 million, adding that estimates haven't been finalized. Nigaglioni also said it's important to factor in the savings the district would have from this project, which includes not having to bus the students to another location.
Residents asked why the ninth-grade campus can't go across the street from FMHS, which could keep the athletic fields where they are.
Burnett said the decision was made after extensive discussion from a charette committee composed of parents, teachers, staff members, HOA members and students.
"If we move the center to another location, then we have bussing issues like we have now with the students at [Lewisville High School] Killough and Harmon campuses getting to Lewisville High School," Burnett said. "So where would we put it? We could put it across [Peters Colony], but then students would be going back and forth across the street. We could build a bridge for the students to walk over, but then we would need a supervisor to oversee it to make sure students actually use it."
Burnett added that another option for the athletic fields was next to Liberty Elementary School, but he said that, too, would cause transportation issues.
The FMHS ninth-grade center would be located southeast of the main building, which would let the classroom wing of the ninth-grade campus tie into the classroom area of the main high school. It would provide for easier transition between class periods.
Nigaglioni said the plan would also allow for a tie-in to the cafeteria area, which would further provide opportunities for a learning hub idea in which students can study and learn in small groups outside of the classroom. Nigaglioni said this concept would be used at the ninth-grade center and in the main building.
The plan calls for the existing parking and drop-off area on Peters Colony Road to remain while adding an additional drop-off area off Old Settlers Road.
Both the Flower Mound and Marcus centers would include a serpentine hallway that creates a learning hub with various learning studios. Each studio would have classrooms, a collaboration area and administration offices. This would be the same format for both levels of the two-story campus.
"It allows for the creation of small areas for small group instruction, individual learning or groups of two, five or 10 students to work together," Nigaglioni said. "So rather than using the hallway other than just for circulation, wed be using it for more than that. Thats why the size of the main hallway would be larger than the standard hallway you would see in the other building."
Other components include a lecture hall, a media center and a cyber cafe.
Each ninth grade center will incorporate outdoor learning to its concept.
Another part to the plan at each campus is a new performing arts addition to the current building.
In addition, a new gymnasium will be constructed at each campus.
For a detailed look at the schematic plans, go to https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?ik=32449936.
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