Update from the Coalition

We have scheduled a meeting with Dept. of Community Affairs next week to discuss their change in position and point out the errors in UCF submitted data.

We have also been in touch with the Governor's office and Atty. General Crist. Based on the recent audit of UCF by the Auditor General, we suggested that Crist look into UCF's intention to violate Florida Statutes and review the process and control of information by UCF staff for the stadium amendment. This issue is under the Governor's influence. Therefore, we would encourage any of you to write to Gov. Bush about your experience and tell if you felt this process was adequate or manipulated.

The Honorable Governor Jeb Bush, Fax 850-488-9578, or email: jeb.bush@myflorida.com

John Hitt is on record in today's Sentinel about the Medical school (and recently in the editorial page) that he understands how working together provides for a more productive outcome. However, he is also on record saying he had no intention of working with the neighbors even if he had the chance to do it over. We need to make sure the Governor understands that no matter how willing we were to have a dialogue, it is completely under UCF's control to make that happen. And the current administration has not shown an interest to have an honest dialogue.

November 13, 2005

Dear Members of the Coalition,

L and I want to thank each of you for your sincere efforts to put forth a truthful and responsible presentation to “all the powers that be” to have the location of the UCF stadium changed to be compatible with our communities. We want to recognize the many hours you spent in meetings, collecting signatures, writing letters to the local print media, contacting local electronic media and attempting to have dialogue with the BOT.

When we look back over our efforts, all were not in vain. The Governor's Cabinet did require the university to submit a Major Amendment to the Master Plan which delayed the construction of the stadium for at least a year. Perhaps we helped to educate those at the beginning levels of their journalistic careers to investigate every side of an issue, not something the more seasoned Sentinel was willing to do except in a cursory fashion.

Each of us will take our own lessons from this experience. The one I believed, but did not know from personal experience was that there is power in numbers. If the Coalition ever has to deal with an issue again, we must find a way to get those affected more involved. In the end, differences will be made only if enough people are willing to stand up, be counted and be heard. Each of you did these things. You are to be commended.

Thank you again for your time and efforts. We met many wonderful people, willing to give of themselves. Always remember we have recourse at the ballot box. Most of the people who put this system of the BOT in place are still in office today. They voted for the rule that made it more difficult for an ordinary citizen to challenge a university. The system that set up the BOT was done so by Governor Bush, his cabinet and the legislature, perhaps, a letter telling of your experience under this new system would be enlightening. Those who seek our votes do listen, at least, just before election time.

Reviewing comments Football Stadium

The following reviewing agencies made comments on the Master Plan Amendment for the on-campus football stadium. These reports were not posted to UCF's website until the morning of 11/9/05 just prior to the Public Hearing. UCF staff contacted the agencies to correct the deficiencies without allowing the public to be aware of the concerns. It is our opinion that due to the depth of the DCA report some information could not possibly be complete. We will investigate and provide information as to how UCF addressed densities, intensities of land use, and compatibility without completing additional studies. Stay tuned! These are excerpts from the planning type agencies. You may read their reports at www.fp.ucf.edu under the archives for the Amendment.

The Department of Community Affairs, state land planning agency, “identified issues regarding the lack of supporting data and analysis regarding transportation and parking, land use compatibility, consistency with the land uses and intensities of use allowed on the Future Land Use Map of the Campus Master Plan, and long term stadium facility planning.” They specifically stated the data does not support the information provided and more importantly land uses around the stadium “may potentially be adversely affected by the football stadium (particularly the residential uses located north...and to the east).”

Seminole and Orange County Commissioners zoned our communities as single-family housing based on comprehensive plans which consider university planning documents. Seminole County never zoned a single-family community next to a facility of this size (45,000-seat stadium, expandable to 65,000 seats). UCF is required to notify the counties if those plans are inconsistent with the university’s future plans. UCF never raised a concern as these residential communities were built around the north end of campus. Orange County has cited specific changes are needed and requested that “the findings from the numerous public outreach efforts” be included in the amendment.

East Central Florida Regional Planning Council agreed with UCF documents that indicated “the northern site is not compatible with surrounding land uses”, stating “Single family subdivisions are possibly the most sensitive type of land uses with regard to activities occurring around them. Any land use that is substantially different, particularly one of greater intensity, is often perceived as lessening the desirability of a neighborhood and consequently its property values.”

Football stadiums built in the last 15 years required a minimum of 4 years to plan and a maximum of 8 years, yet UCF staff anticipated they could build a state of the art facility in less than 2 years from the time they announced the idea and at lower cost than has ever been built. It is not surprising if the local community questions their ability to plan and execute such an achievement.

DCA gives UCF failing marks

The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) confirms community concerns! DCA, as the state land planning agency, has written comments to the University of Central Florida's Campus Master Plan Amendment featuring the proposed on-campus football stadium. They have specifically noted that the traffic and parking studies do not adequately support UCF's Master Plan or address weekday events. Included in the comments are the issues UCF did not address: compatibility with residential communities; impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods for noise, lights and fire/rescue services; and intensities/densities of land use.

Many of DCA's comments take issue with the documentation provided by UCF as being below acceptable professional standards and methodologies or non-existent. We appreciate the state's efforts to offer professional planning experience by looking at the entire project and all subsequent impacts of this structure. Once the stadium is built, the impacts will be permanent, and the room to expand must be considered before it is approved. We would like the neighbors of UCF's surrounding communities to attend the Public Hearing scheduled for Nov. 9th, 1:00 PM (www.BOT.ucf.edu) to show support and share concerns. This Board will make the determination of the location on campus, implement any future policies and therefore, may control the future impacts to our homes.

The Coalition of UCF Area Homeowner Associations has worked hard to bring to light the long term issues, so that they may be addressed in a public forum. We have collected over 1,200 signatures from residents in Orange and Seminole county who would support a location on the southern side of campus. If you would join us in this effort to build an on-campus stadium in a responsible manner on the south end of campus, please forward a petition (see sample in comments) with your signature to:
CUAHOA, PO Box 622466, Oviedo, FL 32762-2466.

A side note on UCF-- their Art Center

Here is an article about the Art Center. Will this mean more buildings on campus? How about building an Art Center on the North Side of UCF instead of a stadium? See comments for article:

New Rules for UCF tailgating coming soon to our neighborhood

New Rules for UCF tailgate parties

-- just no funnels for chugging beer

-- no plainclothes police officers

-- special parking decals,

--increase in public-service announcements urging people to drink responsibly

(Yeah right)

Coming soon to a neighborhood near you...

UCF stadium/shooting next to our homes

So this is what we have to look forward to when UCF puts the stadium beside our homes?

Coalition Fast Facts

Residential or Commercial?

We support a Southwest campus stadium location. Our community did not oppose UCF building North Orion Road. Nor did we oppose a 10,000-person convocation building, UCF baseball stadium, multi-story student housing, nor parking garages all in the north. We have cooperated with UCF.

Some Fast Facts: For over 15 years, UCF athletics were built on the South part of campus. Since collegiate activities were moved to the north end of campus in 1995, UCF never publicly disclosed their intention to build an on campus stadium - until this year shortly after their 2005 Campus Master Plan had completed the required review process in 2004.

Responding to us, the Florida Cabinet stopped the north campus football stadium and ruled that the Major Amendment Review process must be complied with, which means our reviewing agencies must consider “compatibility” of a stadium with the surrounding, pre-existing communities and hear from the public in order to make appropriate comments to UCF.

Seminole County Commissioners originally zoned our communities as single-family housing based on comprehensive plans to include university-plans. Now UCF is changing their original plans. Our Commissioners must comment on the “compatibility” of the new north campus stadium with our community. The Commissioners have never zoned any single-family community in Seminole County next to a facility of this size (45,000-seat stadium, expandable to 65,000 seats).

A large stadium adjacent to single-family homes is widely rejected in the United States. No new public university football stadiums have been built next to suburban single-family residential communities in the past fifteen years. Instead abandoned airfields, abandoned railroad yards, re-developed older stadiums, or commercial downtown centers have been chosen.

Public Hearing Update

Residential vs. Commercial compatibility

UCF Administrators held their first public hearing Monday, July 25th. Many affected residents were in attendance. The university went through the same information they have said in the past. Residents raised very specific questions which UCF Administration refused to answer on the record. That was by their own design. They are on the record stating they will not change locations, raising the question, "Are they mocking the Governor and Cabinet's Final Order to go through the Master Plan requirements for a major amendment?"

There were six Board of Trustees present and some were concerned by the information that was presented. We had representatives from some of the reviewing agencies present as well, and a few members of the media. The communities were well represented with almost everyone stating that they were only opposing the location. A few supporters made fun of our comments as if they were irrelevant. None of them live in this area or will have to deal with the impacts of this facility and the threat of reduced property values. Everyone who spoke in support of the university proceeding with their plans provided no basis to support the north location. In other words, since they only spoke in favor of an on campus stadium, their wish would still be applicable if it were built in the south.

It is only UCF's Administration that insists on the north location, with little or no regard for the communities' concerns. They claim they can provide state of the art technology that limits the noise and lighting impacts to the surrounding communities. They have never produced studies to confirm to what degree these impacts can be controlled nor the cost associated with this technology. In fact, at previous meetings, Mr. Newman, Dir. of Facilities Planning, stated this information would not be available until they completed the design phase, long after the approval process by the Board of Trustees. Mr. Orsini, Athletic Director, claims the requirement to be compatible with the local community was only one point they considered and one which they determined was not possible with the north location. He also didn't realize it is part of state law. Mr. Merck, VP of Administration & Finance, claims they only have to comply with the host comprehensive plan. Dr. Hitt, President, and Mr. O'Leary, Football Coach, were not in attendance.

Some of the questions presented are listed below:

1. Why are internal adjacencies taking priority over external community concerns? If the community is willing to support your efforts to build an on campus stadium in the south, why are you refusing to relocate this facility? Why are you not willing to work with us?
2. Why are athletics given priority for the north site for 5-8 games when residents in surrounding communities are impacted by every single event scheduled for the stadium? Why can’t Intramural fields be placed at several sites on campus? Isn’t it more cost effective to relocate a few intramural fields, like a ropes course, rather than rebuilding existing collegiate practice fields that were just built where the stadium is now proposed?
3. Should the scheduled events not generate sufficient revenues, what actions are planned to cover the deficit? What assurance does the surrounding communities have that any limitations will be placed on the number, type, and time of scheduled events to be held at the stadium?
4. How did UCF determine that the north location was compatible with the surrounding community? (A requirement of F.S. 1013.30 and Sec. 2.4, Goal 1 of UCF's 2005 Master Plan) One must wonder where the stadium would have been located had the proposed technology to build it not have been developed for another two years and the master plan adopted in December 2004 had been followed?
5. Why has UCF rushed every process of this project to meet unrealistic schedules?
6. How can a six story commercial property be compatible with the surrounding community of single family residences only 1,400 feet away?

Please continue to stay aware of the progress of this effort and don't be afraid to communicate with Board of Trustees (who approve this Master Plan Amendment), reviewing agencies, especially your county commissioners, and letters to the Editor. We can make a difference by raising the public's awareness. We will keep you posted if and when we receive any response from UCF or the Board of Trustees to these questions.