BLUEFIELD, Va. -During its second public hearing, the planning commission and town council of Bluefield discussed a proposed addition to Graham High School: an athletic stadium.
Currently, the high school holds its home football games at Mitchell Stadium and their home soccer games at East River Soccer Complex. The Town of Bluefield pays a combined $70,000 annually to use these two facilities.
This potential change is something the division superintendent of Tazewell County Public Schools Dr. Chris Stacy says is a long time coming.
“…I went to Graham High School; I played football at Graham; I coached at Graham; I taught at Graham. This is something that for years us old-timers have talked about needing, and so, to be a part of it now maybe coming to its fruition, is very exciting,” says Stacy.
Right now, the area where the proposed stadium would be built is simply being called an “Outdoor Learning Facility” and already has turf and track in place. However, it still lacks some of the necessary infrastructure to begin hosting games, something that will need to be decided by the Town of Bluefield.
Some in the community, including those living around where the proposed stadium would sit have concerns. Dissenting voices mention things like noise, traffic, light pollution, and more that could potentially be coming to a primarily residential area. However, there were also community members present who showed their support.
“…We need to work together because it’s not for us, it’s for our kids, it’s for our future. That’s what it’s for,” says Sidney Clark, a Bluefield, Va. resident.
Bluefield town manager Andrew Hanson says the meeting went well, with the town hearing from both sides on the issues and discussing conditions that will need to be put in place if construction continues.
“Everybody has their specific item that they’re very concerned about, whether it’s traffic patterns, or noise, or light, that activity that will occur, or how it may affect property values, so it’s a multi-faceted issue…” explains Hanson, “…If it is approved, I think we’re going to have conditions in the permit to mitigate all of the negative impacts that could happen.”
Hanson is encouraging residents on either side of the field to consider joining them at their next public hearing, adding that every voice should be heard. The next upcoming joint public hearing will be held on December 10th.
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