“This university has not been transparent with this neighborhood,” said Al Jergens at a community meeting in the Knapp-Storm dining complex. “As an ISU alumnus, I expect more than that from a world-class land-grant facility.”

The meeting Wednesday night facilitated discussion of the building of a sports complex and agriculture pavilion that the university proposed to the Board of Regents at its October meeting.

The proposed complex is planned to be built in the south area of campus, near the Wallace-Wilson residence halls.

“I will be immediately across from this proposed complex, and I do feel this is an unnecessary and redundant site proposal,” Jergens said. “It’s going to devalue my property.”

Michael Burkart said he found out about the project in October through a surveyor who was in the current intramural fields east of the residence halls.

“There are big, pink streaks out there right now; you should know if your property has been surveyed,” Burkart said in response to an earlier comment by Warren Madden, vice president of business and finance, who said the marking of trees was done by FEMA, which is trying to calculate flood damages.

The sports complex will feature a track, soccer field and softball field surrounded by fencing.

Several of the meeting’s attendants, who numbered about 100 in total, were concerned about the fencing. One community member asked, “Will it feel like we’re living under the bleachers?”

“Several members of the community have addressed concerns about the fencing,” Madden said. “It’s not going to be a chain-link fence, and I don’t know where you got that idea from.”

The crowd responded, saying the fences are what is on the design plans.

The idea of the fencing came from a liability issue, and people not having access to the throwing areas associated with the track and field facilities, said Jamie Pollard, director of athletics.

“We thought it would improve the site aesthetically, but that is feedback,” Pollard said.

Another issue raised by community members was the lack of proper storm drainage, and the flooding that currently happens on the field.

“I can provide a historical perspective, having been here for 45 years; the water issue, you’ve got to understand how serious that is,” said one community member.

He added that the storm sewers are currently at capacity, and the additional runoff from the field will negatively impact the issue.

Others were concerned about light pollution, and one person who lives by the current softball field said there is loud rap music coming off of the field every Sunday at 8 a.m.

Another location the university looked at for the complex was behind Hilton, but that land has a steam pipe running under it, which Pollard said would be expensive to remove.

Caleb Douglas, former Cyclone and community member, said he was concerned about the students who play intramurals.

“I use to play rugby and I think they might be getting gypped,” Douglas said.

Madden and Pollard said they would take the community’s advice and concerns into consideration before taking any further action with the project.