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City Council Minutes April 22, 1998 • Page 6 ~,._ :~ Meredith Anderson, 2280 Folwell Avenue, noted an increase in the University's estimated seating capacity in the temporary bleachers from 800 to 1000 over the course of these meetings. She stated that she's seen people park on the grass across the street from the soccer fields rather than walking from a contract lot a few blocks away, and believes few people will walk to this site from the Minneapolis campus. Sheila Richter, 2132 Folwell Avenue, stated that the noise level at the fields is not bad during intramural pick-up games and practices but is really loud during competitive games. Richter fears that the noise will get worse with a new stadium. Gertrude Esteros, 1666 Coffman Street, explained that when the Coffman Condominiums were built, it was with the understanding that the fields were to be used for recreational sports, not competitive games. The conflict between the residential and stadium uses cannot be resolved because the two land uses are not compatible. There is a need to look at the long range development of this area. Betty Ellis, 2111 Folwell Avenue, reported that her neighbors are all opposed to the University's plans for the stadium. The neighborhood has trusted the University in the past and the University has treated the neighborhood well. However, if this proposal passes, it will be in disregard to the wishes of the neighborhood. She noted that her • living room window would be about fifty feet from the eight foot high stadium fence. Marcel Richter, 2132 Folwell Avenue, made two points. First, he stated his belief that the University will rent out the stadium someday, even if it has no plans to do so now. Second, he asserted that the University has known about this stadium for a long time. The topic was on the Regent's agenda even before the first community meeting held on the subject. Richter asserted that any task force that enters discussions with the University at this point will not have sufficient time to analyze the issue. He asked that the stadium topic be withdrawn from the Regent's calendar until all of the issues have been fairly discussed. John Turner, 1576 Vincent Street, stated that he supports women's intercollegiate athletics but opposes this particular project. He is concerned about the compatibility of an athletic complex with a residential neighborhood and fears a decline in property values. Turner encouraged the University to find another site that would be better for the residents and for the needs of the student-athletes. He also encouraged the city council to work collaboratively with the University and for the council to try to influence the building activities of the University even if it can't regulate them. Barbara Lukerman, 2211 Folwell Avenue, stated her concern that the 1996 University Master Plan, adopted 18 months ago, addresses this area as being for informal recreational sports, not for a stadium. She also expressed concerns about the long range development of the entire site. Lukerman asked that Kent Greenberg, the consulting • planner for the Master Plan, be invited to a task force meeting and that the council require an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) to document potential impacts of a stadium use.