Rock Prairie Baseball Fields

36,269 Views | 314 Replies | Last: 6 mo ago by MsDoubleD81
trouble
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Oh that would be fun
UhOhNoAgTag
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spicyitalian said:

UhOhNoAgTag said:

I figured it was a farmer who made money selling land and decided to keep a portion for himself!!!! There is also a public hearing for zoning change request sign near it. Wonder about that too.
I live very close to both construction projects. The house is someone with too many dollars. The zoning change is to PDD probably from R. Planned develop district from rural.

Yes I hope the ballpark completely fails. They are shoehorning all this tacky crap right in my backyard.


So is the zoning change to benefit the rich homeowner?
Hornbeck
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So, the same folks that are insisting on a study for a Convention Center didn't bother doing a study before greenlighting a multi-million dollar project?

Color me shocked.
Buford T. Justice
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That is located next to a landfill.
Who knows what the heck is buried underneath that dome.

"Kids…do not shag balls that were hit over the fence!"
"Gimme a diablo sandwhich and a dr. pepper...to go"
MyNameIsJeff
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MsDoubleD81 said:

Hmmmmm. But not saying what. Guess we have to wait for the city council meeting on the 24th. City staff investigating and Vaughn deferred questions back to city.

I drove by there yesterday and a Drake Environment sign was posted. Didn't get out of the car, but wondered if that's normal?

That's simply the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) and is required by TCEQ on any project with over a certain amount of disturbed area. You'll see that on virtually any project.
MsDoubleD81
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Thank you.
SCHTICK00
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Buford T. Justice said:

Again, I'm not a civil engineer, but wouldn't the soil samples be taken before beginning the project?


This is the multimillion dollar question. Of course they were, AND what was the recommendation. Was the recommendation followed or ignored
EMY92
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I've done many school and commercial projects, I've never seen one that didn't have a geo-tech survey done. If that wasn't required for this project, the person in charge should be sued for malfeasance of taxpayer funds.
Chris98
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It was being built on a former landfill. Can't imagine the soils report/ boring log not picking up on these issues
turfman80
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I'm thinking the problem is along the lines of some type of soil contamination. There are ways to address drainage and agronomic issues, especially with the infields being slated for artificial turf.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothing is a real cool hand
MeKnowNot
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EMY92 said:

I've done many school and commercial projects, I've never seen one that didn't have a geo-tech survey done. If that wasn't required for this project, the person in charge should be sued for malfeasance of taxpayer funds.
Totally agree.

I've been informed earlier on this post that the engineering fees were "substantial", but it seems that we didn't get our money's worth. Anyone who has driven down that portion of Rock Prairie Road was aware that the soils in that area have significant issues.

Congratulations to the OP and TexAgs Forums! This post has brought the issue to the attention to at least two local news outlets. Transparency is the key to good governance, and without OP and TexAgs this issue would never have seen the light of day.

Hopefully the City will learn from this and conduct a geo-tech survey prior to the commencement of the construction of the new convention center that they plan to build a short distance from the ballpark.
EBrazosAg
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Bob Yancy and friends can't be distracted by things like soil testing…. There are more important things to do - like V3.0 Convention Center and YMCA!
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
UhOhNoAgTag
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Chris98 said:

It was being built on a former landfill. Can't imagine the soils report/ boring log not picking up on these issues


Weren't there some saltwater injection tanks near there too?
spicyitalian
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UhOhNoAgTag said:

spicyitalian said:

UhOhNoAgTag said:

I figured it was a farmer who made money selling land and decided to keep a portion for himself!!!! There is also a public hearing for zoning change request sign near it. Wonder about that too.
I live very close to both construction projects. The house is someone with too many dollars. The zoning change is to PDD probably from R. Planned develop district from rural.

Yes I hope the ballpark completely fails. They are shoehorning all this tacky crap right in my backyard.


So is the zoning change to benefit the rich homeowner?
It looks like the rezoning is happinening around that one lot, so probably not unless he has a major stake in the Midtown Madness project.
MsDoubleD81
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From what I've been told, that house belongs to the residential developer for Midtown, so I'd say he's got a stake in it!
Buford T. Justice
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On a side note, what is being built next to Baylor Scott & White?
"Gimme a diablo sandwhich and a dr. pepper...to go"
MsDoubleD81
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New medical center.

https://www.kbtx.com/2023/05/04/baylor-scott-white-breaks-ground-new-medical-center/
BRIANVD04
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Any update on this?
MsDoubleD81
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According to the article in The Eagle,

"City staff said they are continuing to investigate the issue and will update the city council and receive direction on how to move forward at its Aug. 24 meeting."
UhOhNoAgTag
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It's already been shut down a couple months. And they're not going to City Council for another 3 weeks? Problems much worse than drainage. They probably only started working it when it showed up on here!
BRIANVD04
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So who would be ultimately be held responsible for this, if they did in fact not do the soil test or acknowledged it but disregarded it after the fact?
EBrazosAg
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It all depends on where you fall on the favoritism/seniority/DEI composite scale. It could mean termination, it could mean promotion….
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
Hornbeck
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BRIANVD04 said:

So who would be ultimately be held responsible for this, if they did in fact not do the soil test or acknowledged it but disregarded it after the fact?


Are you new here, or what? I haven't seen anyone held accountable for their colossal failures in CS city government yet, and I doubt that suddenly starts now.
Brian Alg
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Chris98 said:

College Station might as well get their piece of the pie.
What is the benefit to College Station taxpayers by and large (who are being forced to fund this project)? Are you proposing that by spending whatever it ultimately is to build and operate the fields, that CoCS will gain so much in additional tax revenue and fees that those costs will be offset and taxpayers will be made better off?

Or are you using some other criterion to indicate this is a worthwhile project?
Brian Alg

Brazos Coalition for Responsible Government and Moderator Restraint
UhOhNoAgTag
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What projects would you like to see for COCS?
HWY6_RunsBothWays
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Brian, you are right! We don't need more baseball fields. What we really need is more bird blinds. Even if there are soil issues, we can cover that property with blinds, bird feeders, and plant sunflowers. According to John Crompton, and most of the current City Council, bird watchers are going to be a huge revenue source for the city. LOL!

On a serious note, three hotels have been built on University Dr. directly across from Veterans Park, and a Starbucks is on the way. Would for-profit businesses build at that location without demand from out-of-town tournament players and families? Unfortunately, those hotels are in Bryan, so College Station will not get the Hotel & Occupancy Tax (HOT). Yes, I understand this isn't empirically peer-reviewed research but tourism, requiring extended overnight stays, does drive economic impact to BCS. How much impact is generated from these activities is left to the economists to discern--and we know economists can massage the numbers in either direction.
Brian Alg
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UhOhNoAgTag said:

What projects would you like to see for COCS?
I know it seems super weird, but the prospect of taking and spending other peoples' money on projects like these doesn't excite me. I am more interested in seeing what cool stuff people will come up with to spend their own money on. It isn't popular but every time you dig into it, it turns out to be the right move. I like Bastiat's What is Seen and Unseen on why that is.

I am not expecting people to share my views in that regard.

What I ask of people is that they identify their criteria for taking and spending other peoples' money and show that there is some reasonable basis that their proposals satisfy those criteria. If they are unable to do that, I might call them on their BS. I get to do that a lot.
Brian Alg

Brazos Coalition for Responsible Government and Moderator Restraint
HWY6_RunsBothWays
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WTAW interview with College Station Mayor John Nichols. Nichols says College Station City Staff will report to the Council on 8/24/23 regarding the status of the Texas Independence Ballpark on Rock Prairie Road. For the ballpark to move forward, soil remediation would be required.

And for you, Brian Alg: "Health, safety, and welfare…is the basic function of the city," Nichols said.

https://wtaw.com/college-station-mayor-john-nichols-on-wtaw-15/
Russell Bradleys Toupee
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MsDoubleD81
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As I said in my post above, wonder why it's taking so long to provide a report.
HWY6_RunsBothWays
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Pure speculation--attorneys could be why the report has been slow to be presented publicly. Hopefully, some of the mystery will be unraveled at the 8/24 meeting.
birdman
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MsDoubleD81 said:

As I said in my post above, wonder why it's taking so long to provide a report.
Because it's probably bad news. If it was good news, they would have rushed to the microphones.
BiochemAg97
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How to report a problem to upper management:

1) problem
2) solutions (at least a couple of options)
3) costs

City staff (probably working with contractor and/or the environmental consultant) have to put together a remediation plan, figure costs, etc.

Depending on the issue, they may have needed to consult with TCEQ on what remediation would be required. Something like a pollution spill requires TCEQ to tell you what remediation is required and then you can figure the costs. That is not going to be a quick answer.


Also have to present the option to just scrap the project. But with a known hazard that may still have to be remediated and would certainly have to be disclosed to a future buyer. So the cancel the project plan isn't free.


Might also a good idea to have an answer for why this wasn't known sooner.
befitter
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EBrazosAg said:

Bob Yancy and friends can't be distracted by things like soil testing…. There are more important things to do - like V3.0 Convention Center and YMCA!
Bob Yancy was not on the council when this project began.
hopeandrealchange
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I find it hard to believe that anyone would consider a project that includes considerable excavation next to a landfill a good idea.
The potential liability they have dug up could be astronomical.
It seems our local leaders kick hornet nests any chance they get.
With our voting record we continue to get what we deserve.
 
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