The Athletic Practice Facility Siting Evaluation Committee recommendations were delivered to Virginia Tech’s President Charles Steger’s office on May 30 and presented to the Board of Visitors (BOV) on June 4. Thanks to all the hard working members of the committee. Five recommendations were included in the report:
1. Designate the Stadium Woods Old Growth Reserve for permanent protection and develop a use and management program to enhance its ecological value and benefits to the campus community.
2. Relocate the proposed facility site from the Woods site to the Washington Street tennis court site and develop a site orientation and design that considers cost, aesthetics, mitigation of existing uses, and minimal impact on the Woods.
3. Commence construction of replacement tennis courts and roller hockey rink displaced by the Washington St. site before the existing facilities are closed.
4. Allocate incremental costs associated with the site relocation, which are a measure of the preservation value of the Woods, to funding sources other than Athletics and Recreational Sports.
5. Review procedures for assessing variance with the Master Plan to safeguard against future controversies of this type.
For advocates of the old growth Stadium Woods, tennis courts and roller hockey there is a lot of good news in these recommendations.
However, understand that until the recommendations are accepted by the President’s office and a final location approved by the BOV, Stadium Woods is not protected from development. We hope that the decision will be soon, and that this issue will not continue to damage Virginia Tech’s reputation and green commitments.
– From the Executive Committee, Friends of Stadium Woods