Residents urge board to reconsider East site for athletic complex, question transparency

Public commenters at the Colman-Egan School District 50-5 board meeting urged the board to halt plans to place a proposed athletic complex on land east of Allen Avenue, arguing the site is in a partial floodplain and is too close to homes. "There's simply not enough room for an athletic complex at that location," Mary Sweeney Gengler told the board, listing parking, trespass liability and mosquito/West Nile risk as local concerns.

Dan Schmidt, who identified himself as a lifelong Coleman resident, said he supported a new complex in principle but opposed the East site. "What I am against is building this in the proposed East location," he said, warning the parcel would create "two landlocked school locations with a row of houses through the middle" and limited access points. Multiple speakers criticized what they described as a leading survey and a lack of meaningful community outreach before negotiations began.

Supporters also addressed the board. Sean Geigley, a coach and recent resident, said a new track and field facility would improve safety and athletic opportunities for students and help attract families: "The track, the football field would get used more and more." The exchange highlighted a split in the community about priorities and site selection.

After public comments, board staff explained earlier geotechnical work showed the East parcel's soils were generally more suitable for development than the north parcel and that the north site carried stipulations that could add an estimated $1.5–$2 million in development costs. The board later approved a purchase agreement for a 10.4-acre parcel for $178,400, while noting purchase of land does not by itself set the site of any final athletic development.