St. Ambrose University (The “University”) Is a Private, Catholic, Coeducational, Liberal Arts Institution of Higher Education

Current Situation

General:

St. Ambrose University (the “University”) is a private, Catholic, coeducational, liberal arts institution of higher education. The University is organized as an Iowa nonprofit corporation and is a tax-exempt charitable organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The St. Vincent’s Center campus of the University is located at 780 West Central Park (this is the address of the Diocese of Davenport) and is bounded by Assumption High School to the west, the Duck Creek Parkway to the north, West Central Park Avenue to the south and residential neighborhoods and the Western Avenue alley to the east.

Enrollment:

The University’s enrollment has increased 19.2% since 2001, but total enrollment (FTE) has actually decreased 4.7% since 2007. The undergraduate enrollment has mirrored these numbers with total undergraduate enrollment increasing 27.3% since 2001 and decreasing 3.06% since 2007. Graduate enrollments are down 5.2% since 2001 and down 10.9% since 2007. A chart showing total enrollment, undergraduate enrollment and graduate enrollment is shown below:

Future Projections

In the spring and summer of 2010 the University went through a Strategic Enrollment Planning process to answer the question of how big the University should become over the next ten years (until 2021). This process was facilitated by Noel Levitz, a noted enrollment management firm. The end result of this process was a 2021 enrollment target of 4,250 students. The changes in enrollment are projected to be as follows (with 2010 as a base):

Undergraduate - 2010 enrollment of 2,575 students to 2,750 students, a 6.8% increase. Graduate – 2010 enrollment of 850 students to 1,000 students, a 17.65% increase. Adult – 2010 enrollment of 250 students to 500 students, a 50.0% increase.

Campus Facilities Master Plan

In the fall of 2010 the University hired VOA and Associates Incorporated to prepare a campus facilities master plan. This plan was to identify the University’s facilities needs over the next 10 years, through 2021. This plan identified the following facilities needs over the next 10 years:

 One competition/practice soccer/football/lacrosse field with 300 seats for small events.  Two practice football/soccer/lacrosse fields (while the plan calls for two fields, only one is included in the current Land Use Plan).  Competition football/soccer stadium with a 400 meter competition track, 3,500 – 5,000 seats for spectators, press box, lights, and areas for locker rooms, concessions, storage, offices, meeting rooms, sports medicine and a weight room. While the plan calls for 3,500 – 5,000 seats, the current Land Use Plan only calls for 2,500 seats.  Competition/practice softball field.  Parking lots to accommodate 1,150 vehicles (for a 5,000 seat stadium). This has been scaled down as well to only include 500 surface parking spots and 75-100 grass spots as the seating capacity of the stadium has been reduced to 2,500 seats.  A restroom and storage structure on the east side of the property.

The University competes with 15 other private schools in the State of Iowa and 13 of these schools have a football program. 11 of these 13 schools have their own on-campus football stadium. These schools include (seating capacity is in parenthesis if known) Buena Vista University (3,000), Central College, Coe College (2,200), Cornell College (2,500), Drake University (18,000), Loras College, Luther College, Simpson College (5,000), University of Dubuque (4,000), William Penn University and Wartburg College (4,000). Two schools, Grand View and Iowa Wesleyan share a stadium with their local high schools.

Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois competes in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). There are eight schools in the CCIW and they all have their own on-campus stadium. These schools along with their stadium capacities are following: North Park (3,000), North Central (5,500), Augustana (2,600), Wheaton (4,100), Millikin (4,000), Illinois Wesleyan (3,500), Elmhurst (2,500) and Carthage (4,000). The University often competes with these schools in recruiting students. Pictures of the private school stadiums in Iowa and Illinois can be seen in Appendix V. While the quality of some of these pictures is not good (we pulled them from the school’s websites), they still provide a good idea of the size and scope of these complexes.

The University has 23 varsity sports, over 700 athletes and a very active intramural program. With only one on- campus athletic field, the University’s athletic teams practice and play at nearly 20 off-campus sites. Simply put, the University must add a sports complex and competition stadium to continue to compete for high school seniors in the Iowa and Illinois region.

It is also important to note the St. Vincent’s Property already includes many athletic fields. See Appendix II, sheet 2 of 8. They include two practice football fields, a soccer field that is used for practices by the University and for practices and games by Assumption High School (AHS) and a softball field that is used by both the University and AHS for games and practices. One of the practice football fields, the soccer field and the softball field are located west of the drainage way that separates the property. The other football practice field is located east of the drainage way. This does not take into account the athletic facilities at AHS that include two practice football fields (the track is not usable), a baseball field, tennis courts and other open areas for practice.

The University’s Land Use Plan includes putting the competition football/soccer stadium where the current softball field, soccer field and practice football field are located. The practice football field is one of the lowest spots on the property and this allows the stadium to be placed in a spot where its profile can be diminished. This spot was also chosen as it is in the middle of the property. The tree line that separates the property in half shields the residential properties to the east of the complex and the entire width of the AHS property shields the residential property to the west. The softball complex will then be built to the north of the stadium. Its location also shields it from the residential properties to the east and west. On the east side of the property parking will be placed where the practice field currently sits and two practice fields will be built south of the parking lot. These improvements will be fenced in and separated from the east neighborhood by berms and landscaping.

As noted below you will see that this complex is already being used to host practices and games for soccer, softball and football.

Required Information

Completed Application:

See Appendix I

Boundary Survey:

A boundary survey was completed for this site in 2009 when the property was acquired. It can be found in Appendix II, sheet 2 of 8. The legal description of the property to be re-zoned is St. Vincent’s Home 1st Addition, Lot 1 and St. Vincent’s Home Addition, Lot 4. They are parcels B0003-01A and B0029-04A. We are also only asking for a portion of this parcel to be re-zoned. The portion to be re-zoned can be seen in Appendix II, sheet 1 of 8. The legal description of the property to be re-zoned is as follows:

Part of the West Half of the Northeast Quarter of the Northwest Quarter; also part of the Southeast Quarter of the Northwest Quarter of Section 23, Township 78 North, Range 3 East of the 5th Principal Meridian; all in the City of Davenport, County of Scott, State of Iowa, more particularly described as follows:

Commencing at the Northeast Corner of the Northwest Quarter of said Section 23; Thence South 87 degrees 58 minutes 03 seconds West along the North Line of the Northeast Quarter of said Northwest Quarter, a distance of 675.84 feet to the Northwest Corner of 32nd Street Right-of-Way; Thence South 00 degrees 57 minutes 26 minutes East along the West Line of the West Half of the Northeast Quarter of the Northwest Quarter of said Section 23, a distance of 1,319.37 feet to the South Right-of-Way Line of 28 1/2 Street(Baker Lane) and the POINT OF BEGINNING; Thence North 87 degrees 55 minutes 21 seconds East along said South Right-of-Way Line, a distance of 649.77 feet to the West Right-of-Way Line of Western Avenue; Thence South 01 degrees 02 minutes 41 seconds East along said Right-of-Way Line, a distance of 203.73 feet to the South Right-of-Way Line of West Garfield; Thence North 88 degrees 26 minutes 55 seconds East along said Right-of-Way, a distance of 13.00 feet to the West Line of a 12 foot Alley as recorded in Warranty Deed, TLD Book 144, Page 443 in the Scott County Recorder’s Office; Thence South 01 degrees 02 minutes 41 seconds East along said West Line, a distance of 866.95 feet; Thence South 88 degrees 57 minutes 19 seconds West, a distance of 327.06 feet; Thence South 01 degrees 11 minutes 22 seconds East, a distance of 209.84 feet; Thence South 88 degrees 06 minutes 57 seconds West, a distance of 215.67 feet; Thence North 00 degrees 02 minutes 17 seconds East, a distance of 232.67 feet; Thence North 88 degrees 48 minutes 38 seconds East, a distance of 210.67 feet; Thence North 01 degrees 11 minutes 22 seconds West, a distance of 516.84 feet; Thence South 88 degrees 04 minutes 34 seconds West, a distance of 491.17 feet; Thence South 00 degrees 35 minutes 57 seconds West, a distance of 240.03 feet; Thence South 88 degrees 59 minutes 45 seconds West, a distance of 481.76 feet to the West Line of the East Half of the Northwest Quarter of said Section 23; Thence North 01 degrees 00 minutes 22 seconds West along said West Line, a distance of 1,543.22 feet; Thence North 88 degrees 30 minutes 49 seconds East, a distance of 442.89 feet; Thence South 01 degrees 09 minutes 40 seconds East, a distance of 781.25 feet to the westerly extension of the South Right-of-Way Line of 28 1/2 Street (Baker Lane); Thence North 87 degrees 55 minutes 21 seconds East along the westerly extension said south Right-of- Way line, a distance of 200.06 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING.

Containing 1,375,056 square feet or 31.567 acres, more or less.

North is based on Iowa State Plane Coordinate System NAD 83 (1997 adjustment).

Drawing of the Development:

See attached map of the proposed development plan in Appendix II, sheet 1 of 8.

Number of Gross Acres in the Project

The total number of gross acres for the St. Vincent’s Center property is 42.35 acres. However, the total number of acres to be re-zoned is 31.57 and can be seen in Appendix II, sheet 1 of 8.

Existing and Proposed Parking Spaces and Parking Ratios

As a part of their Parking and Traffic Study (See Appendix III), Missman, Inc. analyzed the number of parking spaces needed for the proposed project. Based on data taken from the Institute of Transportation Engineering (ITE) publication entitled Parking Generation, 4th Edition, they project the complex will need 575 spaces.

The University currently has 98 parking spaces located in parcel B0029-04A that is located on West Central Park Avenue. This parking is currently used as a storage lot by the University. Students who only need occasional usage of their car can park in this lot free of charge. This will still be used for this purpose, but it will be cleared out and the students asked to park on the main campus when a large event is held at the stadium. A combination of the 98 spaces located on West Central Park Avenue and 410 new spaces to be constructed on the St. Vincent’s site will give the University access to 508 paved spaces on the complex. To meet the required 575 spaces, the University will allow parking on the grass south of the practice fields for its larger events at the stadium. This area will be roped off on games days so that cars will access this parking only via the St. Vincent’s Center Driveway. AHS also has 194 spaces in its main parking lot. AHS will also have access to these spaces for their larger events at the stadium in addition to the 508 spaces on the east side of the property.

The City of Davenport ordinance 17.44.010.13 (Parking spaces – Designated) requires a stadium to have one parking space for each 5 seats in the stadium. As the University is planning on 508 paved parking spaces for a 2,500 seat stadium, the proposed development will also meet the City’s requirements.

However, since the plan to use 75-100 grass parking spots south of the practice field on the eastern side of the property, the University will need to ask for a waiver not to pave these 75-100 spots. The University is asking for this waiver as these parking spaces will only be used 10-12 times per year during large events at the stadium. The University would prefer to keep this space green the other 350+ days per year.

Existing and Proposed Lot Coverage

See Appendix II, sheet 1 of 8. The current lot coverage from buildings equals 0.08 acres, and is 0.74 acres for parking lots/driveways/walkways. This currently leaves 24.07 acres that are non-structural (green space). The proposed development plan would have 0.69 acres of buildings, 0.76 acres for the bleachers, 7.93 acres for the football stadium turf, soccer fields, track and softball field, 5.94 acres of parking/driveways/walkways and 9.58 acres of green space. This can be seen on the chart below:

Square Footage Acres

Existing: Building/Structures 3,330 0.08 Parking/driveways/walks 32,296 0.74 Total existing impervious 35,626 0.82 Total existing pervious 1,339,424 30.75 Total 1,375,050 31.57

Proposed: Parking/driveways/walks 259,265 5.95 Building/structures 38,170 0.88 Bleachers - all 26,700 0.61 Football -turf 101,309 2.33 Soccer - turf (2) 170,372 3.91 Softball turf 67,320 1.55 Discus/Shotput Turf 32,729 0.75 Track in stadium 36,099 0.83 Total existing impervious 731,964 16.81 Total existing pervious 643,086 14.76 Total 1,375,050 31.57

For purposes of this application it is assumed all of the athletic fields will be a synthetic surface. Therefore, they were included in the listing of impervious surfaces. One or more of these fields might be a natural grass field, but the University would like to have the option of all synthetic fields at this time.

Existing and Proposed Square Footage and Floor Area Ratio of Buildings

The existing and proposed total square footage and floor area ratio of buildings is as follows:

Floor Square Area Footage

Existing: Garage 1,680 1,680

Proposed: Stadiums: Visitor stands 5,400 5,400 Home stands 14,800 14,800 Pressbox 3,570 11,100 Pressbox roof terrace - 1,900 Softball stands 4,200 4,200 Softball dugouts 1,200 1,200 Soccer stands 2,300 2,300

Fieldhouse (locker rooms, rest rooms, concessions, weight room, coaches offices, etc. 16,400 32,800 Fieldhouse roof terrace - 13,000 47,870 86,700 Storage building 2,100 2,100 49,970 88,800

Existing Land Use and Zoning

The St. Vincent’s Center campus is zoned E – Exempt as the University is exempt from paying property taxes provided the use of the property is consistent with its exempt status. The property surrounding the St. Vincent’s campus is zoned as follows:

West – Zoned E- Exempt as the property is owned by AHS

South – Primarily zoned R – Residential. However, there are also two lots owned by the Congregation of the Humility of Mary and one lot owned by the Diocese of Davenport. These three lots are zoned E-Exempt.

East – Zoned R – Residential

North – Zoned E-Exempt as it is owned by the City of Davenport (Duck Creek Parkway and Junge Park).

As the St. Vincent’s campus is located next to a residential area, there is less than 200 feet from the campus property line to the nearest structure as you look east and south. As noted above, these are typically residential properties and the not-for-profit organizations listed above. AHS is located within 200 feet to the west. There are no structures within 200 feet to the north.

Existing and Proposed Services

Existing and proposed services to the St. Vincent’s campus (water, sanitary and storm sewer, electric, gas, streets) and the capacity of those services can be seen in the map at Appendix II, sheet 4 of 8.

Site Constraints

See Appendix II, sheet 5 of 8. There are a number of slopes in excess of 10% that are located throughout the St. Vincent’s campus. Starting at the southeast portion of the property, the slope exceeds 10% as the property heads north away from Central Park Avenue. This slope will be used to hide the practice fields from the neighborhood to the south of the property.

The major area where the slope also exceeds 10% is the middle of the property where a drainage way runs through the property on its way to Duck Creek. This area will not be used as much of it is located in a flood plain. Moving to the west the other slopes that exceed 10% are located where a soccer field and a football practice field are located. These slopes currently create a tiered effect. There is a grade change from the AHS border moving east where there is currently a soccer field. It goes down again moving east to a practice football field. Some of these slopes will be removed as the stadium will be located in this area.

Topographical Map

Topographical map for the St. Vincent’s Center campus can be seen in Appendix II, sheet 5 of 8. The University will also obtain a survey for each project as it is being designed. The topographical data comes from the State of Iowa LIDAR Survey.

Existing and Proposed Building Locations

A map showing the existing and proposed building pad locations can be seen in Appendix II, sheet 1 of 8 and 2 of 8. The building area, number of stories, a list of proposed uses and gross floor area can be seen below: Eave Gross Square Height Floor Footage (Feet) Area Stories Uses

Stadium: Visitor stands 5,400 15 5,400 - Football viewing stands - West Home stands 14,800 21 14,800 - Football viewing stands - East Pressbox 11,100 44 3,570 3 One occupied floor plus roof deck Pressbox roof terrace 1,900 30 - - Softball stands 4,200 20 4,200 - Softball viewing stands Softball dugouts 1,200 9 1,200 1 Softball dugout for players Soccer stands 2,300 14 2,300 - Soccer viewing stands Locker rooms, rest rooms, concessions, weight room, coaches Fieldhouse 32,800 38 16,400 2 offices, and meeting rooms Fieldhouse roof terrace 13,000 34 - 86,700 47,870 Storage area, rest rooms and Storage building 2,100 14 2,100 1 concessions (28'x72') 88,800 49,970

The new buildings and parking lots included in the University’s application will meet all of the City of Davenport’s requirements for setbacks and site elements, including landscaping.

Location of Existing and Proposed Parking

A map showing existing and proposed parking areas can be seen in Appendix II, sheet 1 of 8.

Location of Existing and Proposed Loading Docks, Receiving and Trash Pickup Areas

A map showing existing and proposed loading docks, receiving and trash pick-up areas can be seen in Appendix II, sheet 1 of 8. Due to the nature of the improvements, there will be no loading docks or receiving areas. Trash pickup areas are located next to the structure on the east side of the property and at the stadium.

Location of Existing and Proposed Landscaping and Buffering

A map showing the existing and proposed landscaping and buffering can be seen in Appendix II, sheet 1 of 8. Details of what the decorative fencing and the related landscaping will look like can be found in Appendix II, sheet 6 of 8.

Location and Configuration of Existing and Proposed Access Points

A map showing the location and configuration of existing and proposed access points can be found in Appendix II, sheet 1 of 8. The property can only be accessed via the Assumption Driveway and the St. Vincent’s Center Driveway. The Assumption Drive is signaled and the St. Vincent’s Drive is not.

Storm Water Management Plan

A storm water management plan, prepared by Missman, Inc. can be found in Appendix IV.

Location of Existing and Proposed Signage

A map showing the location of all existing and proposed free standing signage can be seen in Appendix II, sheet 1 of 8.

Traffic Impact Study

A traffic impact study was completed by Missman, Inc. It can be found in Appendix III. The report shows the level of service (LOS) at three intersections along West Central Park Avenue. Two of the intersections, St. Vincent’s Home Road (entrance to the property on the east side) and Dr. Sunderbrook Drive (AHS entrance and entrance to the property on the west side) are the access points to the property and the location of the interior parking lots. The Armil Street intersection is in-between the other two intersections. The Dr. Sunderbrook Drive entrance actually changes its name every year as AHS raffles off the name at its annual fund raiser. While it is currently named differently, this is the name used in the report. We will simply refer to it as the AHS Drive.

The study measures traffic levels under three different scenarios. The first scenario assumes a football game at the stadium with all 2,500 seats being used and all of the traffic using the St. Vincent‘s Center driveway. Missman projects what the traffic levels will be in 2017 (using their counts as a base) and they add the impact of the new fields. They calculate the impact at both the morning rush hour and the afternoon/evening rush hour which are more conservative counts than Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons when football games will take place. The AHS Drive remains an “A” as it is signaled. However, Armil and the St. Vincent’s Center driveway drop down to a “C” and “F”, respectively. A “C” is described as “increase delay, fair progression and stable operations” and an “F” is described as, “Traffic volumes exceed capacity, poor progression on all movements”. As an “F” is not acceptable to the University, Missman ran a similar scenario but added the use of uniformed police officers both before and after football games. The LOS increased to a “B” or “C” both at arrival and departure from football games. A “B” is described as, “Minimum delay and good progression”. A “C” is described as, “Increase delay, fair progression, stable operations”. An LOS of “C” is average for the Quad City region. Therefore, as noted below, the University will add a condition to its application that requires the use of uniformed police officers to direct traffic before and after large scale events at the stadium (AHS and SAU football games).

The second scenario is similar to one above, but it also assumes an event takes place at AHS that fills its parking lot. The LOS at the Assumption driveway remains at an “A” in both the AM and PM as it is signaled. The LOS at Armil and the St. Vincent’s Center driveway is a “C”, “E” or “F” without police officers present, and a “B” or “C” with police officers present.

The third scenario assumes the St. Vincent’s Center complex is used on non-football game days and an event takes place at AHS that fills its parking lot. This scenario assumes all three soccer/football/lacrosse fields are in use, the softball field is in use and the AHS parking lot is full. Because the AHS Drive is signaled, it scores an “A” in both the morning and the afternoon. The Armil and St. Vincent’s Center Drive are a “C” in the morning and a “C” in the afternoon as they are not signaled.

During the 90-day vetting process with the neighbors, they were not satisfied with the Traffic Study provided by Missman, Inc. as they did not feel it was broad enough. They felt it should include the intersections at Marquette Street and West Central Park, at Harrison Street and West Central Park and at Gaines Street and West Central Park. Missman’s conclusion was that traffic was flowing well in front of the complex, and therefore it would not be an issue as it dissipates and moves further away from the complex. However, as this was identified as a concern, the University had Missman update their study.

Missman conducted their counts on Friday, February 28, 2014 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm and on Saturday, March 1, 2014 from noon to 3:00 pm. These days of the week and times coincide with the times and days of the week when football games are scheduled to take place at the stadium. They used the same three scenarios noted above and rolled forward the increase in traffic to 2017, the expected opening of the stadium. This study can be found in Appendix IIIA. The results of this study are as follows:

 Condition One, AHS football game taking place at the stadium on a Friday night: o Marquette Street – Level C o St. Vincent Home Road (with officers present) and Harrison Street – Level B o All other intersections, including the AHS Driveway, Warren Street, Armil, and Gaines Street are level A.  Condition Two, SAU football game taking place on a Saturday afternoon: o Marquette Street – Level C o Harrison Street – Level B o All other intersections, including the AHS Driveway, Warren Street, Armil, St. Vincent Driveway and Gaines Street are level A.  Condition Two, AHS football game taking place at the stadium on a Friday night and another event at the high school that would fill its parking lot: o Marquette Street – Level C o St. Vincent Home Road (with officer’s present), AHS Driveway and Harrison Street – Level B o All other intersections, including Warren Street, Armil, and Gaines Street are level A.  Condition Two, SAU football game taking place at the stadium on a Saturday aftrenoon and another event at the high school that would fill its parking lot: o Marquette Street – Level C o Harrison Street – Level B o All other intersections, including the AHS Driveway, Warren Street, Armil, St. Vincent Driveway and Gaines Street are level A.  Condition Three, all four fields on the complex in use on a Friday night (no football game) and another event at the high school that would fill its parking lot: o Marquette Street – Level C o AHS Driveway and Harrison Street – Level B o All other intersections, including the St. Vincent Home Road, Warren Street, Armil, and Gaines Street are level A.  Condition Three, all four fields on the complex in use on a Saturday afternoon (no football game) and another event at the high school that would fill its parking lot: o Marquette Street – Level C o Harrison Street – Level B o All other intersections, including the AHS Driveway, Warren Street, Armil, St. Vincent Driveway and Gaines Street are level A.

Therefore, the flow of traffic will not be impacted significantly by the use of the complex provided a police officer is present during high volume events at the stadium. As noted above, the University will add a condition to this application that requires the use of uniformed police officers before and after large events at the stadium (AHS and SAU football games). The second study also shows the intersections at Marquette, Harrison and Gaines will not be significantly impacted by the complex and football games. The only intersection that is below Level B is Marquette, and it is a Level C. However, it would be considered a Level C even without the complex.

The University also asked the Davenport Police Department to prepare a plan for how they would direct traffic after a football game at the stadium. This report was prepared by Lieutenant Jamie D. Brown and can be seen in Appendix XIV. Lieutenant Brown states the Davenport Police Department can safely control traffic at this location, similar to what they do in other parts of the City.

Compatibility with Surrounding Area

Total Number of Proposed Users:

The St. Vincent’s campus will be available for use by the University’s faculty, staff and students; however it will primarily be used by the University’s athletic teams. The University currently has approximately 750 varsity and junior varsity athletes and 50-75 coaches and athletic department staff.

The University has approximately 1,700 on campus, residential students. They will have access to this complex for intramural and campus recreation activities.

Due to a proposed Shared Use Agreement with AHS, they will have access to the complex as well for football, soccer, track and field and softball. AHS has approximately 480 students and 25-50 coaches in these sports.

However, it is assumed this facility will only be used 9 months out of the year. The University school year ends in mid-May each year and does not start up again until the fall varsity athletes show up in mid-August. AHS will use the complex in the summer months, similar to what they do now, but its use will be limited. It is also assumed this complex will get little to no use during the winter months from December through the end of February. Therefore, it will only get consistent use 6 months out of the year.

The following is a listing of the past and future athletic schedules for the University and AHS:

Football:

For the 2013 season, the University played the following home football games:

 Saturday, September 14th, 1PM  Saturday, September 28th, 1 PM  Saturday, October 12th, 1 PM  Saturday, October 19th, 1 PM  Saturday, November 2nd, 1 PM

In 2012 the University played 5 regular season home games and one home playoff game. In 2011 the University played 5 regular season home games. All of these games kicked-off at 1:00 PM except for one; it kicked-off at 2:00 PM.

The University has junior varsity home football games as well. In 2013 they played two home JV games at Brady Street stadium (September 15th and November 3rd) and three intra-squad games at the Ambrose Dome (September 29th, October 13th and November 10th). In 2012 they only had three intra-squad games at the Ambrose Dome and in 2011 they played three home JV games at Davenport North High School.

The following was AHS’s home football schedule for the 2013 season:

 Friday, August 30th, 4:45 (sophomore) and 7:30 PM (varsity)  Thursday, September 12th, 4:45 and 7:30 PM  Thursday, October 3rd, 4:45 and 7:30 PM  Friday, October 25th, 4:45 and 7:30 PM  Wednesday, October 30th, 7:00 PM (Play-off game)  Monday, November 4th, 7:00 PM (Play-off game)

AHS played 5 regular season home games in 2012 plus one home playoff game and they played 4 regular season home games in 2011 plus one home playoff game. All of these games kicked-off at 4:45 and 7:30 PM except for the playoff games which kick-off at 7:00 PM.

In 2013 AHS also hosted five freshman home games on Thursday, September 3rd at 4:30 PM, Tuesday, September 17th at 4:30 PM, Tuesday, September 24th at 4:30 PM, Tuesday, October 8th at 4:30 PM and Tuesday, October 15th at 4:30 PM. In 2012 and 2011 AHS hosted four home freshman games. All of the start times were at 4:30 PM.

In summation, AHS usually hosts 4-5 home football games per year and the University hosts 5 for a total of 9-10 home contests per year. If either team is fortunate to host a home playoff game this number will increase by 1-2. AHS’s freshman games generally draw crowds of only 200 -300 fans and they currently take place at the high school now. Therefore, they will have no additional impact on the neighborhood. The University’s junior varsity games draw similar crowds due to the distance parents have to travel and will have no noticeable impact on the neighborhood when they are moved to the proposed complex.

The above totals assume AHS will hold all of its games at the stadium. However, due to the size of their crowds they may wish to move some of these games to Brady Street Stadium. During the 2010 football season AHS sold a total of approximately 4,900 tickets to four games, or 1,225 per game. AHS also sells Gold Passes that allow fans to attend all AHS events and they sell student passes. In 2010 they sold 25 Gold Passes and 150 student passes. AHS also gives all Catholic Grade School students a pass that allows them to attend all AHS events free of charge. Using the average of 1,225 tickets sold each game in 2010, 25 Gold Passes, 150 student passes and 800 grade school passes (there are approximately 1,600 grade school students in Catholic Grade Schools) an average game in 2010 would have had 2,200 fans. If you assume all 1,600 grade students attend a game, this number would increase to 3,000 spectators per game.

In 2011 AHS sold 7,600 tickets for five games, 3,200 for the Bettendorf game. Using the same assumptions as above, and excluding the Bettendorf game, an average crowd would be approximately 2,100 – 2,900 per game in 2011. The Bettendorf game, AHS’s main rival, would draw a crowd of 4,200 – 5,000 and would probably be played at Brady Street Stadium.

In 2012 AHS sold 5,151 tickets for five games, only 1,275 for the Bettendorf game. In 2012 the Bettendorf game was on a Thursday night which always keeps the crowd down, and Bettendorf was having a down year for them. In fact all of AHS’s five games were on a Thursday night in 2012. That is why their paid attendance was only 1,030 per game.

In 2013 AHS sold 4,800 tickets for four games (Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley were away games). Two of the four games were also on a Thursday night. Therefore, an average home game in 2013 was 2,200 – 3,000.

As AHS will want to play its games in a stadium that can handle the size of its crowds, they may want to hold some of their games at Brady Street Stadium. However, AHS’s schedule is currently in flux as they just made a move to 3A football. This may change the size of their crowds as they will be playing smaller schools that will be coming from a further distance. Therefore, it would be safe to assume all of AHS’s games will be played at the stadium, minus the Bettendorf game.

The University does not track its sales of football tickets as most of the fans who attend games receive complimentary tickets. The parents of players attend free of charge, all faculty, staff and students of the University attend free of charge and donors to the Athletic Department also attend free of charge. Fans of visiting teams and walk up sales make up the only paying customers. On average 1,500 – 2,000 spectators attend University home football games. The exception would be the annual Homecoming game that draws 2,500 fans.

Finally, AHS is still interested in hosting Rising Knights football games at this complex. Rising Knights football is a youth football program supported by AHS. They currently play youth games on Sunday afternoons on seven weekends from early September through mid-October. These games are currently played on fields located at AHS and at the St. Vincent’s property. Therefore, there will be no additional impact to the neighborhood.

Track and Field

As AHS and the University do not currently have a functional track to practice on, neither school hosts any track and field meets at home. With the addition of a competition track it is assumed each school will host one track and field meet. If AHS and the University are scheduled to host their conference meets, this would add two additional meets. Track and field meets for either school generally only draw crowds of 500 spectators or less.

Soccer

For the 2013 season, the University scheduled 23 home soccer dates for men’s varsity (MV), women’s varsity (WV), men’s junior varsity (MJV) and women’s junior varsity (WJV):

 Friday, August 23rd, 1:00 PM (MV)  Wednesday, August 28th, 5:30 PM (WJV)  Wednesday, September 4th, 4:00 PM (MV)  Sunday, September 8th, 1:00 PM (WJV)  Tuesday, September 10th, 5:30 PM (MJV)  Tuesday, September 17th, 3:00 PM (MV); 5:00 PM (WV)  Friday, September 20th, 3:30 PM (MJV)  Saturday, September 21st, 1:00 PM (WJV)  Sunday, September 22nd, 11:00 AM (MJV); 1:00 PM (WV); 3:30 PM (MV)  Tuesday, September 24th, 3:00 PM (MV); 5:00 PM (MJV)  Sunday, September 29th, 1:00 PM (WJV)  Monday, September 30th, 3:30 PM (MJV)  Wednesday, October 2nd, 2:00 PM (WV); 4:00 PM (MV)  Sunday, October 6th, 2:00 PM (WJV)  Tuesday, October 8th, 3;30 PM (WV)  Wednesday, October 9th, 4:00 PM (MJV)  Saturday, October 12th, 10:00 AM (WJV); 12:00 noon (MJV); 1:00 PM (WV); 3:00 PM (MV)  Sunday, October 13th, 12:00 noon (MV)  Saturday, October 19th, 1:00 PM (MV); 3:00 PM (WV)  Sunday, October 20th, 1:00 PM (MJV)  Thursday, October 24th, 3:00 PM (MV)  Tuesday, October 29th, 1:00 PM (WV); 3:00 PM (MV)  Sunday, November 3rd, 1:00 PM (MV)

In 2012 the University had 24 dates when they hosted home soccer matches. Therefore, the University will host 23-24 home soccer matches per year.

For the 2013 season, AHS scheduled the following 15 home soccer dates for boys’ varsity, boys’ junior varsity, boys’ sophomore, girls’ varsity, girls’ sophomore and girls’ junior varsity:

 April 2nd, 4:30 PM G S/V  April 9th, 4:30 PM B S/V  April 12th, 4:00 PM G/B V  April 16th, 4:30 PM B S/V  April 23rd, 4:30 PM G S/V  April 25th, 4:30 PM B S/V  April 29th, 4:30 PM G S/V  April 30th, 4:30 PM G S/V  May 6th, 4:30 PM G S/V  May 7th, 4:30 PM G S/V  May 10th, 4:30 PM B S/V  May 11th, 11:00 AM and 3:30 PM B JV/V  May 14th, 4:30 PM B S/V  May 21st, 4:30 PM G S/V  May 25th, 10:00 AM G V/JV

In 2012 AHS had 17 homes soccer matches and in 2014 they are scheduled to play 16 matches at home. Therefore, they will play an average of 16 home events per spring.

In summation, the University had 23-24 dates when men or women’s soccer will be scheduled at the complex. AHS had 16 such dates for a total of 39-40. Assuming post season play for both schools, the total number of events could increase by 2-3. However, AHS currently plays all of its boys’ and girls’ soccer games at the St. Vincent’s Complex. Therefore, these games will not have any additional impact on the neighborhood. The University’s soccer games that will be moved to the complex will also not have a significant impact on the neighborhood as these crowds’ average 200-300 fans per game.

Softball

For the 2012-2013 season, the University scheduled the following home softball games for women’s varsity (WV) and women’s junior varsity (WJV):

 Saturday and Sunday, February 16th and 17th, all day (WJV) – Played at the Ambrose Dome  Saturday and Sunday, February 23rd and 24th, all day (WV) – Played at the Ambrose Dome  Friday, March 1st, 6:30 PM (WJV)  Saturday, March 2nd, 4:00 PM (WV) – Played at the Ambrose Dome  Saturday, March 23rd, 3:30 PM (WV) – Played at the Ambrose Dome  Sunday, March 24th, 12 noon (WV) – Played at the Ambrose Dome  Monday, March 25th, 3:00 PM (WJV)  Wednesday, April 3rd, 3:00 PM (WV)  Monday, April 8th, 5:00 PM (WJV)  Tuesday, April 9th, 3:00 PM (WJV)  Sunday, April 21st, 3:00 PM (WV)  Wednesday April 24th, 1:00 PM (WV)  Friday, April 26th, 3:00 PM (WV)  Sunday, April 28th, 1:00 PM (WV)  Tuesday, April 30th , 3:00 PM (WV)

The University also hosts four days in the fall when they hold softball round robins. During these events the University invites three other teams and they all play the other teams during the day. The dates in the fall of 2012 were September, 15th, 16th, 29th and 30th. For the 2013-2014 season, the University is scheduled to play 15 softball events, 13 at the softball complex and 2 at the Ambrose Dome. Therefore, the University annually schedules 15 softball events per year with at least two being played at the Ambrose Dome and 13 being played at the softball complex.

For the 2013 season, AHS scheduled the following home softball games for girls’ varsity (V), girls’ junior varsity (JV) and sophomore girls’ (S):

 Wednesday, May 22nd, 4:30 PM (JV)  Wednesday, May 29th, 4:00 PM (V)  Thursday, May 30th, 4:00 PM (S)  Monday, June 3rd, 4:00 PM (V)  Thursday, June 13th, 4:00 PM (V)  Friday, June 14th, 10:00 PM (S)  Wednesday, June 19th, 4:00 PM (S)  Thursday, June 20th, 4:00 PM (S)  Saturday, June 22nd, AHS Invite (V)  Monday, June 24th, 4:00 PM (V)  Tuesday, June 25th, 10:00 AM (S)  Wednesday, June 26th, 4:00 PM (S)  Monday, July 1st, 4:00 PM (V)  Tuesday, July 2nd, 10:00 AM (S)

AHS is also scheduled to host 14 varsity, sophomore and junior varsity double headers in 2014 as well.

In summation, the University has 13 home softball games each season and AHS has 14 in addition to the four round robins for a total of 31. However, all of these games were held at the St. Vincent’s Complex in 2013 so this will have no additional impact on the neighborhood. In addition, this sport rarely generates a crowd that exceeds 300 people.

Therefore, the St. Vincent’s Complex will hold 10-12 large scale events each year for football. It will also hold 2-4 track and field events that will draw 500 or fewer fans. The other events (soccer and softball) are either already taking place at the complex or have crowds that do not exceed 200-300 in total. In addition, the football games and track meets will take place on Saturday afternoons and Friday evenings when traffic counts are low on West Central Park Avenue.

Existing and Proposed Conditions:

See Appendix II, sheets 1 of 8 and 2 of 8 for maps of the existing and proposed conditions of the site.

There have been four different versions of plans for the St. Vincent’s site. They can be seen in Appendix VI. A significant amount of neighborhood input was obtained to get to the final Land Use Plan for this property.

The first version (prepared in 2005) had baseball and softball fields and a combination track and field/football practice complex all located on the west side of the property. A competition football/soccer stadium was located on the east side of the property. Parking was located in three different areas around the complex. One parking lot was accessible from the neighborhood to the east of the property.

The second version (completed in 2010) included three practice fields, a softball field and sand volleyball and outdoor basketball courts along the east side of the property. It also included a competition football/soccer/track stadium on the interior of the property and a baseball field on the north end of the property. This plan also eliminated the tree line that separates the property. The plan also showed parking located on the east side of the property that was accessible via the neighborhood to the east of the property.

In designing the proposed complex, VOA (who designed the third plan completed in 2011) had a series of meetings with leaders from the various distinct neighborhoods that surround the University. VOA used this input as they designed their plan. They placed the stadium and parking to the interior of the property. They also placed the stadium to the west of the trees that line the drainage way that runs through the property. This was done for a couple of reasons. This location is one of the lowest spots on the property and it also screens the stadium from the property owners to the east. As this tree line includes many mature trees, the property owners to the east will only be able to see the tops of the light standards. This tree line is also dense enough that the stadium itself will generally not be visible from the east.

The parking was moved to the interior of the property to take advantage of the existing driveway by the Diocese of Davenport and to make the lot inaccessible from the neighborhoods to the east. The soccer/football/lacrosse fields on the east side of the property were also fenced so it would not be possible to park in the neighborhoods to the east and cut through the property to the stadium location.

The portion of the complex that will abut the residential neighborhood to the east will consist of two practice fields for football, soccer and in the future, lacrosse. As this space is currently a green field with trees, shrubs and plants, converting it to green practice fields will not change the character of the space. These fields will be surrounded by a combination of berms, decorative fencing, trees and bushes.

The fourth plan(completed in 2012) included a 5,000 seat stadium that was to be located partially on AHS’s land and partially on land owned by the University. As the size of the stadium was a major concern of the neighbors, the University made a significant concession and reduced the size of the stadium to 2,500 seats. This change was made even though light, noise, parking, traffic and storm water studies all showed the property and surrounding area could support a stadium with 5,000 seats.

The University’s initial plans for the property also included lighting all of the practice and competition fields. This final plan only includes lighting for the stadium.

In summary, the following changes were made to the final Land Use Plan based on input from the neighbors:

 The stadium is placed near the interior of the property, and oriented to run north and south so as to minimize light and noise impact.  The stadium will be placed at the natural, lowest point of the property, so as to lessen its visual impact.  The number of seats in the stadium has been cut in half to reduce noise, traffic and parking concerns. As a point of reference, Brady Street Stadium has 9,000 seats, Bettendorf Stadium has 4,000 seats and Pleasant Valley Stadium has 3,255 seats.  Lighting has been removed from the practice fields to the east to reduce impact to the east.  Parking has been moved to the middle of the property to minimize the light and noise impact to the eastern neighborhood.  The complex will be fenced to restrict access to the property from the surrounding neighborhoods.

The reports the University commissioned as a part of this plan also assisted in lessening the impact of the improvements on the neighborhood. The original VOA design showed the stadium’s grandstand pointing to the east. The sound and acoustical study showed that this orientation would not meet the City’s noise ordinances. As a result, the stadium was flipped so that the grandstand pointed to the west, away from the neighborhoods to the east.

Storm water run-off was also addressed as a part of the project. Storm water quality and quantity best management practices were considered when preparing this plan. The plan uses bioswales and permeable pavement to remove pollutants from the storm water before it is released into the drainage way. The plan also calls for the use of storm water detention areas under the proposed parking lot and field locations so that water is released into the drainage way at a slow enough rate to alleviate any drainage way erosion or adverse impacts downstream. The current storm water management plan will also release storm water into the drainage way at a slower pace than what currently occurs. The Storm Water Management Plan can be seen in Appendix IV.

Community Concerns:

As part of the University’s commitment to contribute positively to its neighborhoods and surroundings, St. Ambrose has established several processes for receiving, considering, and resolving various concerns brought forward by neighbors.

We believe that open lines of communication with our neighbors are essential. Our bi-annual (fall and late-winter) neighborhood update meetings have been a great way to share information and listen to neighbors’ feedback.

In 2008, St. Ambrose established the Neighborhood Relations Council (NRC) to build positive relationships among the City of Davenport, St. Ambrose University and the neighbors directly surrounding the main campus to discuss management of the University’s growth and improvement of the quality of life for the surrounding neighborhoods. To that end, the group holds monthly meetings to report happenings, hear concerns, and to strategize possible solutions.

Some of the ways in which St. Ambrose has heard and responded to neighbors’ concerns include:

 Concerns about student behavior in the neighborhoods led St. Ambrose to hire off-duty Davenport City Police officers on evenings and weekends to address noise, party situations, and parking issues.  As an ancillary benefit to the increased patrols, some police officers speaking during bi-annual update meetings have shared their opinion that this increased presence has helped to reduce crime in several SAU neighborhoods and make them amongst the safest in the city.  Concerns about possible over-occupancy issues led to the creation of new city ordinances and led St. Ambrose to work with the City police and nuisance staff to monitor for possible over-occupancy.  St. Ambrose parking management staff work collaboratively with the City parking management division to encourage students to use university parking lots and to assure parking is done legally and appropriately as it occurs around the campus perimeter. St. Ambrose staff identifies and speak with those who choose not to use university parking lots.  Concerns about water runoff led St. Ambrose to partner with the City to improve flooding issues on West Locust Street and at the intersection of Lombard and Marquette. Once identified, projects were implemented to create water retention and detention mechanisms that alleviated flooding concerns in these areas.  St. Ambrose has implemented a student education program encouraging neighborly attitudes and behaviors that respect all residents in the area.  St. Ambrose has created a Neighborhood Relations website as a center for neighborhood and city information, news, and as a go-to center for SAU and city resources available to neighbors.

While our work continues, recent comments at bi-annual neighborhood update meetings in February 2014 and September 2013, affirmed that many have seen improvements with overall issues and appreciate the efforts the University has made to create mechanisms for concern resolutions.

As originally envisioned, the formal membership of the NRC was expected to include the leaders of neighborhood associations that would be developed to articulate and represent the various interests and concerns from the neighborhoods and neighbors living to the north, east, south and west of campus. SAU representatives, Davenport City staff and Davenport Police and organizations such as United Neighbors have attended NRC meetings to provide information and support. Official NRC meetings have always been open to public attendance.

While there has been some progress by neighbors in developing neighborhood associations (Glen Armil and Historic VanderVeer are two examples), no other, more formal NRC structure, membership rules or membership terms have been developed to date. By default, the NRC membership has become self-selected based upon who chooses to attend meetings.

St. Ambrose remains committed to maintaining a working group or substantive mechanism that allows for the continued identification and resolution of neighborhood concerns.

Existing and Proposed Impact on the Neighborhood:

While the Land Use Plan for this complex attempts to move the stadium to the center of the property and away from the residential neighborhoods, the lights from the stadium and the noise during competitions might have some impact on the surrounding area. To determine the impact of these items, the University hired Talaske, a firm specializing in sound and acoustics, to perform a sound study and Shive-Hattery, an engineering firm, to perform a light study in consultation with Musco Lighting.

As noted in their report (Appendix VII), Talaske created a three dimensional electro-acoustic model using specialized modeling software to understand the potential sound propagation. They assumed a distributed loudspeaker system and simulated crowd noise based on full capacity of the stadium. As environmental factors such as wind, humidity and temperature can impact their results, Talaske actually performed their analysis assuming 3,000 fans would be in the east grandstands. This provides them with a 50% cushion as only 2,000 seats are planned for the east stands. With these factors in place Talaske concludes the crowd noise and the sound system will all stay below the dBA levels required under the City’s ordinance (8.19.110). As a part of its application the University will add the following conditions regarding the sound system:

 The University will install a distributed loudspeaker system; and  An electronic “limiter” will be added to the system to ensure the volume cannot be turned up

The Shive-Hattery lighting study can be found at Appendix VIII. The Shive-Hattery report assumes the light standards at the east end of the stadium are 90’ and those on the west end are 80’. Per the City of Davenport Code, (17.56.010 O.3.d(2)) lights standards for athletic fields are limited to 80’. Therefore, Shive-Hattery looked at both the 90’ and 80’ option and an 80’ only option.

90’ and 80’ Option

As the stadium is located in the middle of the property, the closest houses are located to the west of the stadium (Garfield Court) and east of the stadium (Western Avenue area). The Shive-Hattery Report shows the maximum horizontal footcandles (fc) in the Western Avenue area range from 0.044 to 0.004 fc, well below the acceptable levels of 2.0 fc. The Musco analysis also does not take into account the tree line that separates the stadium from the eastern neighborhood. As this tree line will shield the properties to the east, it is safe to assume the actual levels will be much less than those listed. The average footcandles at the Garfield Court neighborhood are .050 fc, also well within the acceptable levels. To put these fc levels in perspective, deep twilight (moonlight) is 0.1 fc.

Shive-Hattery also looked at the light impact from select views in the neighborhoods around the complex. Photographs were taken from four different vantage points and used as the background for a 3D model. A 3D model was then developed that placed the light poles at the approximate location they would be on the property. Using the actual pictures as a background and the 3D model, Shive-Hattery was able to model what neighbors would see from the four different locations selected. As noted in Appendix VIII, the light standards are not visible from two locations along Western Avenue and the tops of the standards are barely visible from the other Western Avenue location. The lights are visible from the Garfield Court area, so the University is willing to work with the neighbors in the area to add trees, fencing or other landscaping materials to shield their properties.

80’ Only Option

Similar to the 90’ and 80’ option, the most important fc measurements are to the west and east of the stadium where the closest houses are located. Using all 80’ poles the fc levels in the Western Avenue area are 0.005 to 0.045 fc and they are 0.045 fc in the Garfield Court area. Both are also well with the 2.0 fc required level.

As both the 90’/80’ option and 80’ options are well within the City of Davenport Code requirements, St. Ambrose would like to ask for a waiver on the requirement to install poles not to exceed to 80’. As stated in the Shive-Hattery report, the scan average light levels with 90’/80’ poles is 77.4 fc and it is 67.1 fc with the 80’ poles. As Shive-Hattery states, “The lower the mounting height, the higher the aiming angle and the more light that is delivered off site”. Since 90’/80’ poles deliver more light on the playing and track surface, and create fc levels well below the City requirements, the University would like to use 90’/80’ poles.

An analysis of the lights in the parking lot was also performed based on concern expressed by the neighbors. Lighting calculations were performed by Shive-Hattery using Visual Professional version 2.06.0232 and LSI provided IES files. The software shows light levels 40 feet off the back (north) side of the proposed parking lot to be 0.0 foot candles. This assumes the use of 25 foot poles (City requirement is less than 30 feet) and house side shields on the lights. St. Ambrose will use house side shields on the lights closest to the neighborhood. This lighting study can be found at Appendix XIII.

Also, see above regarding the impact of parking, traffic and storm water run-off. The University hired firms that are experts in their fields to perform the studies noted above. The biography for Talakse, Sound Thinking (noise) can be found with its report at Appendix VII. Biographies for Missman, Inc. (storm water, traffic and parking) and Shive- Hattery (light) can be found at Appendix XV.

It is also important to understand the number of events that will be moving to the St. Vincent’s Complex. As noted above, AHS currently hosts 16 soccer matches, 14 softball games and 4-5 freshman football games during an average school year in addition to 30-35 freshman, sophomore and varsity baseball game dates. These games are currently played on their fields or at the current St. Vincent’s property. These two locations are also where practices for these teams and sports take place. The University currently plays 13-15 softball games at the St. Vincent’s complex and holds practices for all of its soccer and softball teams at this location.

What is being moved to this site are 10-12 football games, 2-4 track meets, 23-24 soccer matches and practices for football and track and field. The nature of this neighborhood is not changing as a result of the improvements the University is proposing to make to this property. This property is already a sports complex that is being used by AHS and St. Ambrose University. The addition of improvements to this complex will add more activity but will not change the overall character of the property.

The University also reviewed existing football stadiums located in the Iowa Quad Cities and the surrounding area. The satellite photos of these stadiums can be found at Appendix IX. It can be seen in all of these photos that these stadiums are all built right next to neighborhoods and the neighbors and stadiums have co-existed in the same location for years. The University also did further research into two of these stadiums.

Bettendorf’s TouVelle Stadium was built in the late 1970s. To determine the impact of the stadium on the existing residential land owners, the University obtained the property tax records for 42 of the properties located next to the stadium. Most of these properties were built in the 1970s and 1980s. Using the January 1, 2012 assessment as current fair market value and the earliest listed sale as a starting point, the University calculated the increase in value of the property. On average the earliest listed sales date was in early February 1994 and the average annual increase in value was 2.5% (median 2.7%). Therefore, these properties increased in value somewhere between 2.5% and 2.7% annually. Using US Census data, the median value of homes in the City of Bettendorf increased 3.3% annually during this time. While this figure is higher, it also includes the value of new homes built in Bettendorf during this time. In 1990 there were 6,993 owner occupied homes in the City and that number increased to 10,350 by 2010. However, the number of houses valued at greater than $500,000 was two in 1990 and 343 in 2010. Therefore, the difference between 2.5% and 3.3 % is due to new construction during this time. This analysis can be seen in Appendix X.

A similar review was performed at Pleasant Valley High School. Pleasant Valley’s stadium has been around at its current location since at least the early-1980s. From 2003-2007 12 new houses were built in a sub-division directly adjacent to the stadium. While there was not enough data to accurately calculate the annual increase in value, it was interesting to note that the average assessed value of these properties is over $325,000 and two have assessed values of over $400,000. It is difficult to assume these property owners would build and purchase these luxury homes if they felt the stadium would negatively impact the value of their home. This analysis can be seen in Appendix XI.

The University also looked at various Midwest colleges and universities to see where their stadiums are located. Satellite photos of these stadiums can be found in Appendix XII. As noted in these pictures, these stadiums are located close to, and in some cases, right next to surrounding neighborhoods. The first picture in this appendix is of the stadium for the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. St. Thomas is located in an upper middle class St. Paul neighborhood close to the Mississippi River. Their stadium is located right on the edge of their campus and right across the street from a residential neighborhood. In addition to their own games, this stadium also hosts games for Cretin-Derham Hall, a nationally ranked high school football team located in St. Paul. St. Ambrose contacted Doug Hennes, Vice President for University Relations at St. Thomas to learn how they manage games for both their games and the high school games. He noted they do the following:

 St. Thomas contracts with the City of St. Paul for special traffic control on the day of games. This is important as the street that separates the stadium from the neighborhood is a link to people wanting to reach a major interstate in the area.  They encourage parking in their lots and not in the neighborhood. Many of the neighborhoods around St. Thomas have permit only parking and that keeps spectators out of the neighborhoods for the most part.  They do allow tailgating, but only in designated areas. It has not been a problem in the past. If it does become a problem it will be addressed.  They have a Neighborhood Advisory Council, similar to our Neighborhood Relations Council and they post many updates to their website for both neighbors and spectators.

St. Ambrose plans to have all of these same processes and procedures in place. Uniform Davenport Police officers will be on hand as crowds arrive and at the conclusion of games to control traffic. St. Ambrose will have its own security department patrol the neighborhoods surrounding the stadium to encourage spectators to use the lots closest to the stadium. Tailgating will be allowed, but will be monitored by University personnel to ensure it does not become a problem. Finally, the University will use our Neighborhood Relations Council to address any issues with the stadium.

St. Ambrose also has game day management practices it follows during football games:

 Two off-duty Davenport Police officers are hired for all football games, excluding Homecoming when three officers are hired. Their responsibilities are to oversee the parking lots before games and the conduct of spectators before, during and after games. As mentioned earlier, they will also manage traffic flow on West Central Park before and after events. If it is determined additional officers are needed, they will be hired.  The University’s Athletic Director, Sports Information Director and at least two other Athletic Department staff are on-site for all football games. They will supervise the stadium, parking lots and areas around the complex before, during and after all football games.  As noted below, SAU Security will patrol the neighborhoods surrounding the stadium before all games asking spectators to park at the complex and not in the neighborhood. They will also be used to oversee the complex during football games.

Finally, the University intends to maintain the property at a high level after construction. To that end, the University intends to do the following:

 Maintenance crews will clean the stadium after all large scale events to ensure garbage does not end up in adjoining neighborhoods.  Limit tailgating activities to the proposed parking lot directing east of the stadium during all St. Ambrose home football games.  During Homecoming Weekend the University will host “Taste of St. Ambrose” a non-alcoholic tailgating event at the stadium. Any other organized tailgating activities that weekend will be restricted to the parking lot directly east of the stadium or the main campus lots.

Transportation System:

The University’s main campus is only three blocks to the south of the St. Vincent’s property. Athletes and students who will be using the complex will be encouraged to walk or bike to the complex for practices, games and other events. Adequate bike racks will be placed on the property to encourage biking. As noted above, daily use for practices and intramural events from mid-August through November and March through mid-May will be the majority of the use.

It will be difficult to encourage the use of mass transit for large competitions. These will typically be held on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons when the transit system is not running. In the case of SAU spectators, many will be coming from out of town to watch their sons and daughters play.

As noted in the Missman, Inc report, they recommend the University use uniformed Davenport Police officers to control traffic flow after all large scale events at the stadium. In addition to this recommendation the University will also perform the following:

 Meet on an annual basis with representatives from Assumption High School, the Davenport Police Department and the City of Davenport Traffic Division to discuss traffic flow issues during large scale events.  At least initially, have University security staff patrol the neighborhoods around the complex during larger scale events at the stadium to ask spectators to park in the University provided lots vs parking in the neighborhood. If this is not noted as a problem, this practice will be suspended.

Conditions

To summarize, the University is willing to summit to the following conditions as a part of this application:

 The University will install a distributed loudspeaker system at the stadium;  An electronic “limiter” will be added to the loudspeaker system to ensure the volume cannot be turned up;  Maintenance crews will clean the stadium after all large scale events to ensure garbage does not end up in adjoining neighborhoods;  Limit tailgating activities to the proposed parking lot directly east of the stadium during all St. Ambrose home football games;  During Homecoming Weekend the University will host “Taste of St. Ambrose” a non-alcoholic tailgating event at the stadium. Any other organized tailgating activities that weekend will be restricted to the parking lot directly east of the stadium or the main campus lots;  Meet on an annual basis with representatives from Assumption High School, the Davenport Police Department and the City of Davenport Traffic Division to discuss traffic flow issues during large scale events.  At least initially, have University security staff patrol the neighborhoods around the complex during larger scale events at the stadium to ask spectators to park in the University provided lots vs. parking in the neighborhood. If this is not noted as a problem, this practice will be suspended.

Waivers

The University is also asking for the following waivers:

 The University would like to install 90’ and 80’ light poles at the stadium. The City Code limits these pole heights to 80’. The 90’ and 80’ poles will deliver more light on the field and track and create less light spill. The light spill under both scenarios are also well below City requirements.  The University is also asking for a waiver to pave 75-100 parking spaces south of the practice field on the eastern side of the property. As these spaces will only be used 10-12 times per year, the University would prefer to keep this space green the other 350+ days a year.