Our Petition

FIND THE RIGHT SOLUTION FOR YOUTH SPORTS

We, the undersigned concerned residents of Texas, fully support youth sports and the establishment of youth facilities in safe and appropriate locations.

We, the undersigned concerned residents of Texas, do not support the creation of the proposed River Hills Sports Park for the following reasons:

  1. Access to the site is limited and extremely unsafe.
  2. The proposed scale of the project is inappropriate for a site surrounded by many residential neighborhoods.
  3. The proposed project is inappropriate given the significant environmental issues related to the site.
  4. Bright sports field lighting and loud amplified sound systems can not be contained on the site and will have a significant if not devastating impact to a large area given the site’s unique hilltop location and close proximity to Lake Austin.

We, the undersigned concerned residents of Texas, do support the pursuit of alternative solutions that work for both the area youth leagues and the Westlake neighborhoods.

We therefore petition the EANES Independent School, the Travis County Commissioners, and the City of Austin to take any necessary actions to reject Western Hills Little League’s proposed River Hills Sports Park plan and to work with community leaders to fully pursue safe and appropriate alternative solutions.

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    32 thoughts on “Our Petition

    1. Geoffrey and Lorraine Maslin

      We, the undersigned concerned residents of Texas, fully support youth sports and the establishment of youth facilities in safe and appropriate locations.

      We, the undersigned concerned residents of Texas, do not support the creation of the proposed River Hills Sports Park for the following reasons:

      Access to the site is limited and extremely unsafe.
      The proposed scale of the project is inappropriate for a site surrounded by many residential neighborhoods.
      The proposed project is inappropriate given the significant environmental issues related to the site.
      Bright sports field lighting and loud amplified sound systems can not be contained on the site and will have a significant if not devastating impact to a large area given the site’s unique hilltop location and close proximity to Lake Austin.
      We, the undersigned concerned residents of Texas, do support the pursuit of alternative solutions that work for both the area youth leagues and the Westlake neighborhoods.

      We therefore petition the EANES Independent School, the Travis County Commissioners, and the City of Austin to take any necessary actions to reject Western Hills Little League’s proposed River Hills Sports Park plan and to work with community leaders to fully pursue safe and appropriate alternative solutions.

      Reply
    2. Ron Baker

      Disappointing that they chosen to place such as large facility in such a pristine area. This is more appropriate along a larger transportation segment that has already seen industrial development.

      Reply
    3. Carol Lee

      Let me know what I can do to help your effort. Our NA board just forwarded information about this project to residents this past weekend. Your spotlight demonstration last night was a very effective way to get the attention of residents in the area.

      Reply
    4. Monte Lee-Wen

      We live in Seven Oaks and we agree that this is the wrong site. We are adamantly opposed to this Mega-Sports Complex at this site.

      Reply
    5. Ducastel

      This site would be in the middle of numerous very quiet communities and in sight and hearing distance of all of us around. Because of all the hills surrounding this location, around the noise will be multiplied and the lights seen from very far away. It is quite hard to understand in which sick mind this project was conceived, without any regards for the life of all living in these communities. We all appreciate the improvement of our communities but there is a space for each project and this one does not belong there. This project can only come from greed and interest and not the well-being of the community. We will appreciate if the individuals responsible for authorizing this project could only come and see the place but if they do they will certainly understand the concerns of the entire community that will be impacted by this project. This project should not be authorized under any reason.
      Thank you for your understanding and God bless.

      Reply
    6. Nicole Craven

      I strongly oppose the River Hills Sports Complex. Nestled in the middle of several quiet neighborhoods is not the right location for any mega commercial business. Light and sound pollution until 10:30 at night, every night, is not fair to our families. Please, STOP THE RIVER HILLS SPORTS COMPLEX!!!!!!

      Reply
    7. Ruth Kohlhaas

      I have been in the real estate business for over 42 years. The sports complex will most definitely affect the property values of all the surrounding neighborhoods. The traffic, noise and lights are not in keeping with these beautiful homes.

      Reply
    8. Charles and Elizabeth Allgood

      If we wanted to live in a world of search lights and loud speakers we would have moved next to a prison complex.

      Reply
    9. Gregory Nikolaidis

      I love sports and I love parks. However, this is one of the most ill-conceived plans that I have ever seen. The real estate developers and investors are PUTTING PROFITS AHEAD OF PEOPLE’S LIVES. For them to wait, until families lives are lost, to then attempt to develop the proper infrastructure is unconscionable. River Hills road is a narrow, windy country road with no shoulder. There are better suited tracts of land for sale on Bee Caves road. I strongly oppose the project at this proposed site.

      Reply
    10. Gina Mundy

      I strongly oppose the proposed River Hills Road site for a mega sports complex. Please choose a better site!

      Reply
    11. Kisha Conroy

      Don’t underestimate the power of the people. This is OUR community!!! We don’t want the sports center!

      Reply
    12. Pam Thompson

      This is contrary to the turn off the lights in hill country nights. Is there consensus among the neighbors? If not, why not?

      Reply
    13. Jeff Bates

      This would ruin the lake hills area. This is not what this land was intended for. It was donated for use as a school.

      Reply
    14. Tom Kirk

      I am opposed to the site of this project. This area seems to be one of the last Crown Jewels in Austin Texas . Please find it in your heart to find another location.
      Thank you and God Bless.

      Reply
    15. Jim Gulley

      I live on River Hills Road below the site, (not on the water)…on many nights, due to the valley terrain, I can hear “normal” outside conversations from neighbors several acres away and from boats on Lake Austin (not to mention their music.) The one benefit from this project I can see is that less people will want to camp at Emma Long (especially on holidays) and it will cut down from the noise on that side of the lake (Take note City of Austin!) Parties with music, several blocks distance away, can easily be enjoyed in my front yard, but all these things are temporary, this facility will operate year round! Schools operate mostly during the day, not at night…I’ve played in softball leagues, this facility will DEFINITELY function mostly at night, with MANY people that will no doubt be SHOUTING as opposed to normal conversations. I for one, will NOT be cheering them or this project on!!! In regards to the lights, while I will have the glow and not the direct light; I can not imagine the impact to those who will have the direct light. If St. Stephens inadvertently leaves their field lights on overnight, I literally can not look that direction at the lights since they are so intense. I have read the amount of lights this project will include and can not comprehend how ANYONE unbiased would allow this to happen, MUCH LESS the school district we support!!! Let’s talk traffic, please take note of the rollovers that have occurred on our little neighborhood country road and drive up and down it on a regular basis and you will know that between joggers, bicycles and deer just around a blind corner, there is lots of swerving and near misses. For over ten years, several times a month I have had to drive off the edge of the pavement to avoid a head-on collision due to other drivers cutting corners and swerving to miss some one/thing. Twice when Bee Caves had to be shut down to an accident, traffic was diverted down River Hills and through to Cuernavaca, while I do not anticipate that much traffic, I know that during these instances it took me 30 to 45 minutes to drive that stretch of River Hills to my house. This project makes no sense to me…schools are necessary, I get that, and that’s what we were told would occupy this property and public money would be used to make road improvements to benefit schools, not a private entity. A $200K bond for a traffic light? You and I both know that won’t even cover the traffic light much less the road improvements NECESSARY for the increased traffic. Future income limitations to EISD, neighborhood impact, traffic impact, environmental impact…the project just doesn’t make sense and I believe that is why most of the neighborhoods did not get upset in the early planning stages. We live here, we know what it’s like and we never expected it to get this far, but yet the project continues to move forward…what is the real story here? I confess, I have never previously voted in an EISD school board election and perhaps our school board does not live in this area and does not understand the impact this will have on so many of us…We are not just a clanging cymbal, this is our reality! Please listen to our side of the story in the surrounding neighborhoods and tell us what we need to do to help you understand OR would you please explain to us, how this makes sense to the three of you!

      Reply
    16. Deborah Kirk

      I do not support a sports center on River Hills Road or anywhere in the vicinity of River Hills.
      Let’s please keep this area the peaceful and lush sanctuary that it has always been and not another “great, old Austin” memory. Thank you.

      Reply

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