Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Stadium Approved
RESIDENTS CONCERNED ABOUT DRAINAGE
FARMINGTON — The Planning Commission voted 6-0 last week to approve the large-scale development plan for a new football/ soccer stadium and separate track and field facility for Farmington High School.
The new athletic facilities will be located in the northwest corner of the school property on Highway 170.
Plans show the new stadium will have a football/soccer field, home bleachers with pressbox above the bleachers. In addition, the new stadium will have a separate concession stand/bathroom facility on the north end of the field and a fieldhouse with indoor practice field on the south end of the field.
The track and field facility will be located west of the stadium and will have bleachers and a press box.
The school will install two new parking lots with more than 300 parking spaces. The landscape plan for the site shows 89 plants and shrubs and 47 trees.
Earlier in the meeting, commissioners unanimously approved a 30-foot height variance to allow the pressbox for the new stadium to be 70-feet-high above the ground. The two-level pressbox will be above the home bleachers.
City Attorney Steve Tennant told commissioners he considered the variance request an OK variance. The city’s ordinance on height requirements is antiquated and needs to be updated, Tennant said.
City staff did not think the city’s height limitation was applicable to the stadium because it is not a typical building structure, said Melissa McCarville, city business manager.
Norm Toering, who lives in Twin Falls subdivision, addressed the Planning Commission about the height variance and also had concerns about stormwater drainage from the new facilities.
He asked commissioners to realize the plans are not just about a football field and new track but that a pressbox located 70 feet up from the ground would be an obstruction in the area.
“This is 30 feet higher than the other buildings there,” Toering said during a public hearing about the variance request.
During discussion on the large-scale development plan, Toering presented photos of flooding that occurred in the pasture between the new Farmington High School campus and Twin Falls subdivision during the April record rainfalls.
Toering said the pasture has not had flooding like that before and he attributed the flooding to storm drainage from construction of Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the high school campus.
“I want to make it clear and put it on public record,” Toering said. “I think we’re going to have an issue with flooding.”
Toering said he did not think “due diligence” was conducted for drainage and pointed out Twin Falls has the most expensive homes in Farmington. He did not think those residents would take it kindly if their homes were flooded in the future.
Another landowner in the area, Mike Mashburn, also spoke about drainage.
“I totally agree with this gentleman,” Mashburn said. “The problem in Farmington is water.”
Mashburn had not seen the plans but said he likes the project.
“If it is done with the elegance of the arena and the good looks of the Performing Arts Center, it will be an asset for the community,” Mashburn told commissioners.
But, he added, “Everyone is going to have to watch the water.”
Project engineer, Geoffrey Bates of Bates & Associates Inc., said he was “100 percent sure” drainage plans would take care of storm water. He said construction of the football stadium would help drainage. Drainage plans include a 10-footwide and two-foot-deep ditch to carry storm water to a two-acre detention pond that is seven feet deep.
Bates said it would be “impossible” for storm water from the site to get to Twin Falls.
Chris Dougherty, engineer with McGoodwin, Williams and Yates, also told engineers the plans have a “good layout for catching water.” Farmington contracts with the firm for engineering services.
Commission Chairman Robert Mann said he wanted the city to look at the reason for flooding in the pasture next to Twin Falls.
Another commissioner, Jay Moore, also told Bates, “Please do everything in your power to make sure water runs the way it’s supposed to.”
Bobby Wilson, commissioner, said another factor to consider about stormwater drainage is that other development has been going on in the area, besides the new high school. He pointed to the new Walmart Neighborhood Market and Casey’s General Store.
Jill Toering also spoke to commissioners about her concerns. She said she had concerns about light pollution from the football stadium and asked if the electrical would be underground.
Jill Toering described the light pollution from Farmington’s sports complex nearby as “unbelievable” and noted the city is now going to put in a new sound system for public announcements and to play music.
“Everyone has a life and it doesn’t necessarily revolve around a football stadium or baseball,” Jill Toering said.
Bates said electrical would be undergound.
“Everyone has a
life and it doesn’t necessarily revolve around a football stadium or baseball.”
Jill Toering
Farmington