The Mount Vernon City Council kept the Mount Vernon Schools activity complex site plan tabled at the April 4 meeting.
City administrator Chris Nosbisch said that the photometric design from Musco Lighting has not yet been provided.
The council did receive communication from Laurie Cranston about the impact to traffic in Stonebrook after the last council meeting. Nosbisch said the city will look at any no parking signage to be similar to how Cornell College parking is treated during event days, with temporary signs along the street.
“We know people will park in Stonebrook during these events if the activities complex is located here,” Nosbisch said. “We’re hoping to ease that into this and not disrupt the lives of people along that route.”
Mark North, a resident in Stonebrook, spoke about his five concerns with the project: parking and traffic, lighting, sound, trash and the effect on property resale value.
North said he appreciated the comments noting that there will be glare with 80 foot or 90 foot poles for nearby residents.
When it came to sound, North said his concerns were more for the low frequency sound waves that will be at that site.
“While Mount Vernon has certain decibels that sound can’t be over between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., the ordinance doesn’t take into consideration the impact of low frequency sound waves from things like band practices or early morning practices on the track,” North said.
Trash was the next issue. North said that after any event hosted at the high school, there are already fast food bags or cups that can litter around the high school and are not addressed, and he’s concerned about the trash from a cimplex that would host 1,700 people during a game.
He also said the number of events estimated at the center was probably undercounted. Nosbisch clarified the 10 to 15 events they were discussing in council were for events like home football games or track meets which would impact Stonebrook parking. The council was aware the field would be used for many more events than that per season.
North’s last issue was that property values could see a negative impact for being adjacent to the activities complex.
“I’m under no illusions that we’re going to stop this, but I think this has moved forward and to a point where some of these issues have not been adequately addressed,” North said.