Stop construction of sports field in Alameda

The Issue

Imagine your home, your peaceful sanctuary, transformed into a bustling, noisy environment. This is the reality we are facing in Alameda with plans to construct a new sports field in our residential neighborhood. The impact this will have on our community cannot be overstated.

Firstly, consider the major traffic congestion that will ensue on Otis Avenue and Grand Street whenever the field is in use. These streets are already busy, and adding the influx of vehicles attending games and events will create significant traffic jams, posing safety risks for local residents and especially for children walking or biking to school.

Further adding to the concern is the noise pollution. The cheers and announcements from sporting events will disrupt the peace that residents have enjoyed for years. Many people who live in this area have young children or elderly family members who will be highly affected by this increased noise level.

Then there are the bright floodlights that will illuminate the area at night, intruding on our natural setting, and adversely affecting the nocturnal wildlife and our own quality of life. The light pollution will not only disrupt human sleep but also disturb the animals who call this area home.

Additionally, the insufficient onsite parking will force visitors to park along residential streets, taking up spaces normally used by residents and creating potential conflicts and security issues.

Our community deserves to maintain its serenity without bearing the burdens imposed by this development. We seek an alternative location for the sports field that ensures it is accessible for athletes and fans, without compromising the quality of life for the residents of Alameda.

We urge the concerned authorities to reconsider the location of this sports field and engage in a transparent dialogue with the community to find a solution that respects the needs of both sports enthusiasts and residents.

Your support is crucial to protecting our neighborhood. Please sign this petition and help us preserve the character and tranquility of Alameda.

Marilyn RothmanPetition Starter

Media inquiries

161

Let’s get to 200 signatures!

Petitions with 1,000+ supporters are 5x more likely to win!

The Issue

Additionally, the insufficient onsite parking will force visitors to park along residential streets, taking up spaces normally used by residents and creating potential conflicts and security issues.

Your support is crucial to protecting our neighborhood. Please sign this petition and help us preserve the character and tranquility of Alameda.

Marilyn RothmanPetition Starter

Media inquiries

Support now

161

Let’s get to 200 signatures!

Petitions with 1,000+ supporters are 5x more likely to win!

The Decision Makers

Alameda Unified School District

Responded

“AUSD prides itself on being a good neighbor and responding to community concerns transparently and accurately. As such, we appreciate this opportunity to address the concerns raised in this petition. First some background: AUSD has been considering building a new athletic field for Alameda High School (AHS) for some time. This is because heavy annual use on Thompson Field’s grass results in ruts and holes every year, and the site isn’t big enough to fit a regulation track. The proposed new project would include a multi-sport synthetic turf athletic field, a competition track, new bleachers with an announcer’s box, and modern lighting and sound systems. The Site- AUSD is not proposing to build the field in a “residential neighborhood,” as the petition claims. The proposed site has been a school campus for almost 70 years (first as Lum Elementary School and then as a temporary campus for the Wood Middle and Otis Elementary school communities). That campus is indeed surrounded by a residential neighborhood. But the proposed facility would be entirely within the existing campus grounds, and it would provide Alameda High School students with the modern, safe athletic facilities they need and deserve. AUSD analyzed four alternative sites for the athletic field. Only the Lum site: Can fit a regulation track and regulation sports field Is located near where AHS students live and attend school Matches the budget allotted to the project Neighbor Concerns- Over the last five months, Alameda Unified has held three public meetings about the proposed athletic field for Alameda High School. We take the concerns about noise, light, and traffic that were raised in these meetings seriously, have recorded them carefully, and are analyzing them in depth. To aid in this analysis, our CEQA consultant has hired noise, light, and traffic experts to determine the potential severity of the issues and identify ways to mitigate their impact. Those analyses will be included in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). While we do not yet know all of the mitigation strategies that will be proposed, we do know that: Stadium lights can be angled so they don’t flood the surrounding neighborhood We have and will continue to actively work with the City of Alameda on traffic issues in that area. The noise of most practices and games will likely not be more than what has been typical at the site (where there have been two school campuses and both soccer and baseball games associated with adjacent Ritler Park for many years). AUSD included new parking along the access roads and at Wood Middle School that the public can use when there are games at the new facility. Preliminary analysis shows that parking can be accommodated on the school facilities for all but the largest events, which would only occur several times a year. Opportunities for Public Comment- Currently the CEQA consultant is working on the Draft EIR. All of the community concerns expressed so far will be included in that draft, along with proposed mitigation strategies and alternatives. AUSD will promote the draft when it is released and will encourage the community to read and provide feedback on it during the subsequent 45-day public comment period. Community members will also be able to comment on the EIR when it is presented to the Board of Education in December. In the meantime, we encourage community members to visit our project web page to learn more about the proposed project, review public meeting presentations and notes, and explore our FAQs on the project. Project web page- https://www.alamedaunified.org/departments/construction/measure-b/alameda-high-school-athletic-field [Note: The Change.org Civic Engagement Team reaches out to decision makers to let them know about petitions in their community and to help facilitate engagement with supporters. The above was an email response we received regarding this petition.]”

Alameda Unified School District

Responded

Alameda Unified School Board,

3 Members

California