Environmental impact draft issued on new sports complex

Revised plans for the Sonoma Valley High School outdoor athletic and recreational facility – which would include a new lighted artificial turf playing field and synthetic track, as well as basketball courts, baseball and softball diamonds and an open grassy area – were revealed this month with the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) from the school district.

Some changes are apparent from the initial plans previously released, including re-orienting the track and field complex in a direct north-south alignment to reduce sun glare during afternoon games or events.

Kevin Chapin, of Quattrocchi Kwok Architects, led the community presentation on Oct. 15, though he was often interrupted by questions from the 20-plus interested residents in attendance at the informational meeting which took place Tuesday at the high school.

Not unexpectedly, neighborhood concerns about parking were raised, and the impact of the 70-feet-high light array illuminating the field, as well as the noise from the public address system and enthusiastic fans and students.

Concerns have also been raised about the composition and safety of the artificial turf field being proposed. The new playing field will be striped for football, soccer and lacrosse.

During the presentation, a list of 22 area high schools was presented, each with a synthetic turf field made of either crumb rubber or cork infill.

Missing from the list: Sonoma Valley High School, which remains one of the few campuses in the area with grass fields. If the EIR process continues as projected, that will change next year, when construction on the new athletic complex begins in the summer of 2020.

Other features of the “modernization” of the site on the west side of the campus, across Nathanson Creek, include JV and varsity softball fields, a JV baseball diamond and an open grass area – all natural grass. These fields, along with additional tree plantings, will be used to make the entire project “carbon neutral,” said Chapin.

The basketball courts will be moved to the south side of the complex, across the path at the end of Denmark Street. And behind them, a new water-retention field will serve to hold and filter water during storms instead of flooding the creek. The field will be fenced off, not so much for security – the fence will only be 4 feet high – as to signify it’s not a public recreation area.

Also included in the final plans are home bleachers for 1,000, plus a “relocatable” 300 seats for visitors. Seating can be expanded to 2,500 for homecoming and graduation.

Final parking counts for the high school will be a total of 603 available spaces, compared to 275 at Arnold Field where football and some soccer games are currently played.

Bruce Abbott, associate superintendent of the school district, explained that all of the facilities proposed would fit within the $9.5 million allocated for the project through Measure E, the school bond measure passed by district voters in 2016.

The environmental impact report addresses a number of key environmental issues presented by the project, most of which the report qualifies as having no impact or less-than-significant impact. Any issued deemed “significant” would be lessened through mitigation measures detailed in the report.

Such reports do not aspire to technical perfection, Chapin said, but present a “good faith effort” to solve and resolve environmental impacts.

The Draft Environmental Impact Report itself is available for public review on the district website – sonomaschools.org – at the Bond and Facilities Projects page.

The 260-page Draft EIR was produced by the engineering firm of GHD of Santa Rosa, and released on Friday, Oct. 11. The plan itself will undergo review by the district’s Board of Trustees at its Nov. 5 meeting, with an opportunity for public comment.

Written comment will be accepted during the 45-day circulation period, which ends Nov. 25. Mail comments to Bruce Abbott, Associate Superintendent, Sonoma Valley Unified School District, 17850 Railroad Ave., Sonoma 95476; or by email to babbott@ssonomaschools.org.

Contact Christian at christian.kallen@sonomanews.com.