HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-08-18 Public Comment - D. Flatow - New BHS Stadium and AuditoriumFrom: Dana Flatow
To: trustees@bsd7.org
Cc: Watson, Robert; facilities@bsd7.org; Agenda; cejohnson@bozman.net
Subject: New BHS Stadium and Auditorium
Date: Monday, January 08, 2018 11:32:06 AM
Dear School Board Trustees and others whom it may concern,
I deeply value public education and have always supported its funding when given the
opportunity. Sadly, the planning process for a new stadium and auditorium at Bozeman
High School gives me pause. I urge the school board to postpone a vote on a new stadium
until there is a master plan, all reasonable approaches are reviewed alongside a master
plan, the cost of these projects are made public and the cost of construction for High
School 2 is well understood and accounted for.
Our BHS students, staff and faculty, as well as community members deserve a high school
that has a well thought-out master plan, where all considerations are fully studied. This is
not wishful thinking, this is common practice. The school board has yet to provide a
complete master plan and is now planning major additions which will affect everything from
minor considerations to large issues of public safety. Additionally, the community has
pointed out that High School 2 can never truly have a “home game” at another school. At
what point will it become desirable to build a stadium at HS2? In the rush to purchase the
AstroTurf for the stadium, it is not clear to the public that all reasonable solutions have been
considered and viewed in context with a BHS master plan.
The school board has not made public the cost of overruns for the remodel of the existing
stadium, nor the cost for constructing a new one. We are entitled to know these costs in
order to understand whether the cost/benefit of the proposal of a new stadium is justified.
Financial disclosure is especially prudent, given that the rush to build a new stadium seems
motivated largely by the chance to buy AstroTurf at a discount with MSU. It is also
reasonable to expect that cost overruns will occur during the building of High School 2. And
yet a new stadium is set to break ground before that of High School 2, placing the wants of
extracurriculars clearly ahead of the need of academics.
I appreciate that the school board is addressing the safety concerns of the current stadium
and that the plans for a new stadium include new stadium lighting and sound system which
will have less of an impact on the surrounding houses. I also appreciate the efforts the
school board has made to invite the public and the neighborhood to join the discussion.
These have been extremely valuable conversations, especially around traffic, parking and
safety. The suggestions to add additional parking, in the center of campus, goes a long way
to show the importance of having a thoughtful and thorough master plan. That adding
parking to the center of campus (perhaps removing the new tennis courts to do so) is one
of the few ways to keep parking off of residential streets, shows the types of remedies that
become necessary when a master plan has not been made. The continued piecemeal
approach to building at BHS has consequences, and unfortunately it is the neighborhood
that often times bears them. To put such a huge burden on one of the only neighborhoods
in Midtown (which the city has gone to such lengths to revitalize) is poor use of public
resources. I hope that you will remember that strong public schools come from strong and
supportive communities.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Dana Flatow