School to Put Football Stadium and Sports Complex in Your Neighborhood?!

YES they are ! ! ! !

Holy Spirit Preparatory School applied to the City of Sandy Springs for a Special Land Use Permit in order to put a football stadium and sports complex right in the middle of some of the most beautiful, serene and established single family residential neighborhoods in our city!

NEW CONTENT!!

October 1, 2008

No, Maybe They Are NOT After All !!!!

CLICK HERE TO READ THE LATEST NEWS:

Neighborhoods Sue the City of Sandy Springs over

Holy Spirit Preparatory School Athletics Complex!

August 19, 2008 (updated 9-16-2008)

Update: THE NEIGHBORHOODS LOST.

( Read below - and be sure not to miss the important links at the bottom of the page)

Don't Miss !  - CLICK HERE !

The Conditions of Approval for theHSPSStadium, Administrative and Sports Complex ! ! 

(Updated September 8, 2008)

PLEASE NOTE: No sour grapes, no derogatory personal attacks and no revenge posted on this page.  No need to. The below information appearing in BLUE are the simple verifiable facts of this matter and they speak for themselves. Editorial comment from information, responses and facts collected by the Webmaster and provided by the neighbors affected by the City Council's approval of the HSPS stadium, administrative and sports complex, are shown below in RED.

THE RESULTS:

●    The Sandy Springs City Council, in their August 19, 2008 meeting, voted 4-2 to approve the Holy Spirit Preparatory School (HSPS) Special Land Use Permit to build a stadium, administrative and sports complex, 70 foot light towers, loud speaker system, 15,000 square foot administrative building, swimming pool, tennis courts, 150 parking spaces, including 4 land use variances and they, in the end, approved virtually everything else that HSPS asked for with very minimal additional restrictions imposed and even expanding the hours of operation beyond what HSPS asked for!

●    HSPS had previously attempted to build similar facilities at their main campus at Northside Drive and Mount Paran, (NOT in Sandy Springs) but the school was restricted from doing so by the City of Atlanta and local residents. However, our Sandy Springs City Council voted to approve the stadium, administrative and sports complex in one of our own quiet residential neighborhoods, a neighborhood that the City Council had previously designated in the City’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan as a “Protected Neighborhood”.  Considering the Council members 2005 campaign statements and pledges to protect the neighborhoods and with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan in place, the neighborhoods most affected by this had sound reason to feel secure.  However, with the Council's vote, they feel they have been badly betrayed - and that IS a fact.

 This is a major loss for the City...trust has been seriously damaged, the work and effort behind the vision and Comprehensive Plan have been thrown to the wind, the fundamental basis for becoming a City to better represent the citizens have been ignored, and the process of putting the burden of proof on the applicant shows everyone that the game is not what it is supposed to be...fair, fact-based, values-driven and biased in favor of protecting established neighborhoods.   

Q - Why post this information.? Why does it matter now? What purpose does it serve? What can it accomplish? Why not just take this website down and get over it now that the vote is over?

A - The new City of Sandy Springs faced a fundamental charter decision on whether to protect and preserve residential neighborhoods and live up to the City's original promise to do better for its citizens. Instead they chose to permit the HSPS stadium and administrative/sports complex to be built in the heart of a well established pre-existing Sandy Springs neighborhood.  The this site continues to operate is because the citizens of Sandy Springs have a right to know about the City's leadership, their behavior in this critical matter, the decisions they made, their stated reasons for them and there is an obligation to provide that information.  Many residents might find this information interesting, helpful to know going forward and might like to know how our individual City Council members voted in this matter in spite of: a) many of their 2005 election platform stands and pledges to protect and preserve the neighborhoods of Sandy Springs and, b) the Comprehensive Land Use Plan the City adopted just nine short months ago.

●    Many citizens are asking, How can we trust this City when they choose to completely ignore their own campaign pledges, the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and the voice of the citizens that live in the affected neighborhoods? The affected neighbors feel that there was no balance in the decision and no compassion or sensitivity for the impact on the citizens of the neighborhoods most affected.  It wouldn't have been surprising if this decision was made by the Fulton County Commission - but the Sandy Springs Council's utter disregard of the recommendations of their Planners, their Planning Commission and for the homeowners in the affected neighborhoods after the Council members election pledges and the adoption of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, is simply "shocking".

●    One of the reasons given for the approval was that the City wishes to attract high caliber schools and the quality they bring to the city. As a point of information, the City of Sandy Springs already has 41 private and 9 public schools!!! (source: Wikipedia,   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Springs,_Georgia#Schools). That said, there is a very important distinction to be made here. While HSPS does have two school with campuses, one located approx 2 miles away and not in Sandy Springs, this stadium and sports complex is not THE school. It is instead what it really is, a stadium and sports and administrative complex.  A school has classrooms where students are quietly taught  INSIDE of the building, usually during daytime hours, a completely different dynamic from what will now be encountered by the residents of the immediate neighborhood with the approval of this stadium, administrative and sports complex.

●    Another reason stated by the Council at the August 19th meeting for the approval of this project was to provide more "green space" for the local citizens - and this was an opportunity for the City to see to it that was done - at no cost to the city.

NOT stated by the Council is that, though it will cost the City directly little if any dollars, it will be at a high cost to the affected citizens in both quality of life and, especially for those living closest to the HSPS development, at the cost of depreciated property values. Most affected residents believe this was a very greedy decision by the City Council.

●    Unlike the three Council Members Karen Meinzen McEnerny, Douglas J. "Doug" MacGinnitie, Dianne Fries and the Mayor, Eva Galambos, who did respond, at least to some degree to e-mail messages sent to them by neighborhood residents concerning their feelings on the HSPS issues, Ashley Jenkins, Rusty Paul and "Tibby" Tiberio DeJulio did NOT respond to "any" messages on this subject that were sent to them BEFORE the vote.

By not responding and not interacting on the issues with the citizens of Sandy Springs, Ashley Jenkins, Rusty Paul and Tibby DeJulio highly reduced their ability to learn and gain more direct insight as to what the neighbors that are affected are most concerned about, why we opposed this development and why we felt they should also oppose it.  Also, it was an excellent time for them to provide their feedback  to the affected citizens of Sandy Springs on their own thoughts and beliefs so that we could better understand the issues as the City perceived them - and then to provide us the chance to respond and clarify any misunderstandings or inaccuracies as the affected residents themselves viewed it. Yes, there were meetings held with some of the City Council members and a few residents, the "core group", but those meetings could not possibly relay the feelings and all the reasons that many individual residents communitywide had to oppose this project. As a point of information, Rusty Paul refused a follow-up meeting with the core group that he had earlier said he would hold with them, saying "he already knew all he needed to know".

●    The City Council also "encouraged" the school to open up the facility for local resident's use. However, it is not at all clear what obligation, if any, HSPS is under or the extent to which open access for local resident's use will be available. There is obviously a conflict and differences in belief/understanding on this key point, even between Council member', as follows:

A few day AFTER the vote, both Ashley Jenkins and Rusty Paul sent one message each that addressed several issues from their viewpoints, including the neighborhood usage issue. Regarding the neighborhood usage issue they said:

Ashley Jenkins: "The building will have a community meeting room for use by neighborhood groups and HSPS will have the opportunity to offer additional recreational programs to all members of our community." 

Please notice the careful wording. Ms. Jenkins didn't use wording stating there is a "requirement" to provide access to the sports venues and green space of this development to the citizens of Sandy Springs.  Apparently, from her e-mail response, there is no "obligation" imposed for HSPS, a private school, to be required to open up the facility for local resident's use. Additionally, during the Council meeting, when Ashley Jenkins spoke, she only "suggested" that HSPS open the facility to residents.

RUSTY PAUL: To the contrary, Rusty Paul responded saying there IS in-fact a requirement to open up the facility for local resident's use. Here is Mr. Paul's statement:

"We stipulated in the special use restrictions that it had to be open to community usage" and, he further stated: "Further, it will be open to community groups on an as available basis for meetings and other activities".

So which is it?????  We are asking both Ms. Jenkins and Mr. Paul for clarification of this and for a copy of the restrictions and we will post that information here IF and when we actually do get a response.

 As importantly, in the same paragraph, Mr. Paul also stated:

"HS has agreed to let the city operate recreational programs there during the summer when the school has virtually no activity there"

Also, Ashley Jenkins, the Council person that has seemed to assume the role of the the primary spokesperson with regard to this project, IS ALREADY PROPOSING EXPANSION of the use of the complex, before its construction has even begun, by requesting meetings with school staff, parks and recreation department staff and with some local residents. To quote Ms. Jenkins exactly:

"We would like to sit down with you to discuss the public/private partnership possibilities for the site." 

This is a very alarming development because it indicates: a) much heavier use, more traffic and more of the issues that have been objected to by the residents of the area than previously anticipated and, b) a conflict of interest by the City in their greed to do something with this property at virtually any cost, as long as it wasn't at a cost to the City. This clearly indicates that the City is planning to further exacerbate the intrusion of this project by holding its own summer sports programs there. Since this use of the property was never proposed or mentioned by the school or City, doesn't  this indicate a clear conflict of interest?? Also, with the City additionally using the property how could one reasonably expect there would be much if any remaining time available for the neighbors??

It is interesting that City Council decided, apparently on their own and without neighborhood input, to expand the hours of use so that the facilities could be available for use by the neighbors and the immediate community. This was apparently done to meet either a perceived need in our neighborhood, or a specific request. We, the neighbors most affected, are aware of neither. We already have a school (First Montessori) in the neighborhood, which has permitted use for neighborhood meetings when requested; and we are not aware of any need or request by the neighbors for use of the sports facilities. (Perhaps there was such a request, but we are not aware of it. The first that we ever heard of this was when the motion was made at the City Council meeting on 8/19.)

Mr. Paul also wrote:

 "I am hopeful the day will come when HS can acquire enough land on Lake Forrest to open an entrance there, alleviating pressure on Long Island."

This statement speaks volumes. It verifies exactly  what the citizens that opposed the HSPS development have been saying from the start!  Mr. Paul's statements (city use and HSPS acquiring more land) are a clear admittance that this development in-fact IS going to put added pressure on Long Island Drive, just as the neighbors have been saying and fearing all along. This is a clear indication that the City Council has also known all along that  the HSPS development WILL expand in size over time, again just as the neighborhoods have been saying, even further exacerbating the problems inherent with this type of development and further infringing on the neighborhoods and citizens owning homes near the HSPS  development.

●    During the City Council meeting, it was disclosed to all attending the Council meeting that the City is contemplating and is prepared to spend taxpayer money (next year) to the tune of $50,000 - $100,000 to accommodate a left turning lane to help accommodate traffic at one of the key intersections intersecting Long Island Drive.  Another cost to the taxpayers of Sandy Springs!

●    AND, all of this for a privately owned, non tax paying entity, creating even more of a tax burden on ALL of the citizens of Sandy Springs, not only the residents of the affected area.

●    One of the most revealing facts that came from the City Council meeting was that when residents attending the meeting that opposed the project and that lived within a half mile of the proposed project were asked to stand. Approximately two thirds of the entire capacity audience stood. When the HSPS project supporters living nearby within a half mile were then asked to stand, no more than approximately twenty individuals stood. When that request was narrowed to within one quarter of a mile, only approximately ten persons remained standing.  The huge and glaring difference in attendance of nearby residents to this obviously most important meeting was extremely revealing - and validates that the majority of HSPS students live outside of the affected neighborhoods.  IMPORTANT NOTE: Actual HSPS student residents address records were not released and could not be obtained from the school. They were never released to the affected neighborhoods by the City Council either even though it had been indicated that this information would be made available. 

●    Everything written here on this page in blue color is verifiable FACT. There is SO much more and this page could easily be filled with volumes of information, facts and opinions regarding this virtually unbelievable outcome. That said, this page is to provide only the facts. Please use the below links for further interesting information regarding this virtually unbelievable result.