High School Sports Facility a Step Closer

 The Long Beach Board of Education trustees repeated such words as "finalize" and "move on," while residents called their decision "premature" and asked that they give the issue "more time."

This was at the fourth meeting the board has held about the proposed sports facility at Long Beach High School, and while the trustees again listened to residents voice concerns about their proposal that includes a new multipurpose field, softball and baseball diamonds and six tennis courts, they decided to put their modified plans to rest.

"There will not be any more meetings to discuss the design of the high school field prior to the submission of the design to the state education department," said Michael DeVito, Long Beach School District's chief operating officer, after Tuesday's meeting at the Middle School.

DeVito noted that the board will still discuss with the community the construction of the sports facility, which he expects will be completed about two years after the groundbreaking next spring.  

At previous meetings, the residents, mostly from Blackheath Road and Lagoon Drive W. that neighbor the high school, said they only learned of the project earlier this year, and first took their concerns about it to the board in August.  

At Tuesday's meeting, after the board modified the original plans based on residents' recommendations, some residents still had objections.

"I'm not happy we're being told it's final," said Gary Brown, a Park Drive resident.

The board trustees reiterated that residents had adequate opportunities to discuss the proposal with them before the community voted in May 2009 to approve the reconstructed fields as part of a $98 million bond to upgrade district-wide buildings and facilities.

"This is not a new discussion," said trustee Patrick Gallagher.

On Tuesday, residents' questions focused on the five 60- to 80-foot lights and the 85 decible sound system, as well as the vegetation that is designed to buffer both.

"They're towers," Blackheath resident Darlene Haut said about the lights. Haut said that the district failed to give her and other residents more detailed information about the modified plan, such as the height of the lights, before Thanksgiving.

"... I think this is premature," she continued, "given all the new information we're given at this time."

Board trustees countered that the modified plan was already available at a previous board meeting.

The major change from the original plan is to move the multipurpose field further away from the residential properties on Blackheath, at the western end of the school property. This modification required more room, so the district will reduce the field's bleachers from 1,200 seats to 651.

The facility will also sport two 58-seat portable bleachers to move between the new tennis courts and softball field, and a movable scoreboard to use at different fields.

Board President Dr. Dennis Ryan, the district's former athletic director, said that while football draws the largest crowds, there are just four home games each season, and sports like soccer, softball, lacrosse and tennis typically have far fewer spectators, with the exception of playoff games. Moreover, the district plans to continue to hold each homecoming parade and football game at the Middle School complex.

"Most of your major events should be at the middle school," Ryan said.

Blackheath resident Ira Stern remained skeptical about these modifications. "That's what they're saying," he said with a we-will-see tone.  

One overriding issue that both the board and residents agreed must be corrected is the traffic problems on Blackheath and Lagoon.

Eli Hass, a Blackheath resident, and Brian Hasset, a Fairway Road resident, talked about the dangers involved with heavy traffic on the narrow streets that have parking on both sides. "This is really a traffic situation here," Hasset said.

The board said that traffic issues have been ongoing and that residents must work with the Town of Hempstead to finally fix them.

"We really need you, the people of Blackheath," said Trustee Roy Lester, "to correct the parking on that road."

* This story was updated with additional information from the original.