School district delays approval of rec center

School district delays approval of rec center

By Rob Heidrick Friday, 05 June 2009

The Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees decided May 21 to hold off on approving an agreement with the City of Round Rock to build a new recreation center on the Round Rock High School campus. Board members requested more information from city officials regarding the center’s site plan, operation guidelines and safety measures.

The proposed site for the facility, which will be named Legacy Field House, is located on the southwest edge of the high school’s campus — 4.75 acres of district property that includes the Micki Krebsbach Pool. The rec center itself would occupy about 1.7 acres, and a new parking lot would span an additional 1.25 acres. Round Rock voters approved bonds in 2001 to fund construction of the $7.9 million project on the west side of the city.

Student safety

Parents of high school students gathered at the May school board meeting for updates on the center, and many expressed concerns about the building’s proximity to the school and the level of access that would be granted to the general public.

Rick Atkins, director of the City of Round Rock’s parks and recreation department, said the center will be held to the same security standards as all district facilities, with adult supervisors and security cameras monitoring the area.

“From a safety standpoint, the rec center can actually help deter crime by allowing the school system, law enforcement and city officials to provide a safe environment for students in one community hub,” he said.

Board members also recommended that Round Rock High School resource officers conduct meetings with parents and students in the coming weeks to outline security procedures planned for the new center.

Mike Freeman, communications director for the Round Rock West Neighborhood Association, said many nearby residents have expressed doubts that the facility will pose a threat to students’ safety.

“We understand the concern. We’re protective of our own kids. We just don’t think it’s a valid argument that the rec center will bring more of a security problem to the area than already exists,” Freeman said.

“I’ve seen how the city works and how the district works, and I have full confidence that they won’t put anything in place that will put our children at risk.”

Site selection

Atkins said planners selected the location primarily because the city and RRISD have an existing partnership agreement on Micki Krebsbach Pool. By opening the new building on the same site, the city would be able to incorporate the pool into the center and offer aquatics programs similar to those held at the Clay Madsen Recreation Center in east Round Rock.

City officials first approached RRISD in 2007 to discuss building the center on the high school campus. In 2008 the school board approved a master-plan document that situated the facility near the pool, and in February 2009, trustees authorized Superintendent Jesus Chavez to prepare a lease agreement with the city.

School district officials submitted an amended plan in May to avoid building over existing athletic fields south of the pool. The updated plan repositioned the rec center to the pool’s west side, about 300 feet from its previous location.

“We haven’t given serious consideration to any other locations,” said Will Hampton, communication director for the City of Round Rock, adding that various logistical issues make other potential sites less than ideal.

The city’s brush recycling center across from the proposed site on Deep Wood Drive has been brought up as a possible alternative, but Hampton said the land surface atop the former quarry is not stable enough to support a large facility.

Atkins said the city is open to exploring further alternatives, possibly with the help of a committee of community members, but there has been no major progress in pursuing other sites.

“If we can’t build on the high school campus, it will require a ‘Plan B’ scenario, and I don’t know what Plan B is,” Atkins said. “So we’ve got to work things out with the district, figure out things like traffic and safety, and move forward.”

Center operations

Atkins said the facilities and programs at Legacy Field House will resemble those at the Madsen Center. While the new rec center will not include basketball courts, it is expected to house a fitness center, an elevated walking track, aerobics rooms and an indoor turf field, among other amenities, Atkins said. Programs could include cheerleading, gymnastics, after-school programs and indoor soccer, lacrosse and flag football leagues.

“This should be advantageous for the city, and we’re hoping to make this a win for anyone who utilizes the school system,” Atkins said.

The city’s current proposal calls for the rec center to be open to the public from 5 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m. weekdays, but it could be closed during special events such as varsity football games at Round Rock High School’s nearby stadium.

RRISD spokeswoman JoyLynn Occhiuzzi said there are currently no plans for Round Rock High School students to take part in organized activities at the rec center, and the project as currently proposed would not interfere with any of the school’s existing programs or athletic fields.

“We will have enough land to run all of our programs,” she said. “The rec center wouldn’t impact the space they currently have.”

Membership fees have not yet been finalized but will likely be comparable to those at the Madsen Center, Atkins said. For city residents, annual memberships to the Madsen Center are $120 for adults and $270 for families. Visitors who live outside of Round Rock must pay an additional $10 for memberships or an additional $5 for walk-in sessions.

In discussing fee policies for the new facility, school board members considered extending resident membership rates to people who live within the school district but outside city limits, Atkins said. Memberships to Legacy Field House will likely also be valid at the Madsen Center, he said.

Moving forward

Occhiuzzi said the school board will continue to discuss the plans as they receive more detailed information from project organizers and members of the community. Representatives from the parks and recreation department plan to present trustees with more details on security and traffic strategies at the next RRISD board meeting June 18.

Atkins said the city and RRISD expect to finalize an agreement by the end of the summer, and once the city council gives the project its final approval, the center could open within 12 to 18 months.