Proclamation by the Save our Family Neighborhoods
We, the concerned citizens of Raintree, Emerald Forest, Winwood, and friends of these College Station neighborhoods, are grateful that Blinn provides opportunity for education to students and provides employment for the local people. We are concerned for the future of its growth and needs and how the new campus will effect students and employees. We beseech the Board of Trustees to use the Bryan option for the new Blinn campus.
Cons for College Station location and surrounding neighborhoods:
1. Lynntech building location is a short term solution with limited future growth.
2. Raintree and surrounding neighborhoods will lose the family and peaceful environment due to an influx of student rentals.
3. It can cost county, city and CSISD tax payers approximately $224,000 of taxes per year. $130,000 of this would be school taxes, and College Station will still have to pay BISD under the Robin Hood Plan.
4. There will be a huge increase in traffic that College Station roads and infrastructure cannot handle, therefore costing the city of College Station and ultimately costing citizens a high price to accommodate the large increase in traffic and congestion. TxDOT reworking Hwy 6 will help, but this will not benefit the neighborhoods affected.
5. There will be increased loud party noise in family and professional neighborhoods. Students and family environments in imbalanced neighborhoods coexist poorly due to different needs and hours of residents. Again, a new Bryan campus would solve this problem, as the peripheral area will be developed with student needs in mind per the Town and Gown recommendations.
6. An emergency could cause traffic gridlock with a high increase of traffic during a neighborhood evacuation or other disaster, thereby endangering students and citizens of the community.
7. Blinn Board of Trustees' suggestion to sell pads for fast food restaurants near the new campus would negatively impact the eastern College Station residential area rather than locating restaurants/motels on the west side of Highway 6 where few single family residential neighbors are located.
Advantages for the Bryan location:
1. Being gifted 50 acres with option to purchase additional acres at a significant discount, which allows for future growth and expansion at a much lower cost to Blinn and the citizens than the College Station location.
2. The infrastructure for increased traffic and population is already in place and ready without additional monies required.
3. Building could be up and ready for 1,500 students by January 2015 and for 3,500 by August 2015, which is the same as a potential College Station campus.
4. Follows “town and gown” which is to consolidate the students in one area by offering easy access to the school plus amenities that they can use without having to use transportation. It allows both families and students to have most of their needs meet and preserve a place for families.
5. Eventually will generate additional property, school and sales tax as opposed to the College Station site.
6. Solves short term problem and long term answers for Blinn to accommodate more students by being ready for January classes plus intermediate and long range needs.
7. Easy access to Blinn from Rudder High school for potential students and students taking advanced classes. Teachers and counselors have easier access to help the students that are
interested in Blinn.
8. Can be in the new buildings for under $10 million dollars as opposed to $10 plus million dollars and up to $25 million dollars in debt from issuance of bonds.
We, the concerned citizens of Raintree, Emerald Forest, Winwood, and friends of these College Station neighborhoods, are grateful that Blinn provides opportunity for education to students and provides employment for the local people. We are concerned for the future of its growth and needs and how the new campus will effect students and employees. We beseech the Board of Trustees to use the Bryan option for the new Blinn campus.
Cons for College Station location and surrounding neighborhoods:
1. Lynntech building location is a short term solution with limited future growth.
2. Raintree and surrounding neighborhoods will lose the family and peaceful environment due to an influx of student rentals.
3. It can cost county, city and CSISD tax payers approximately $224,000 of taxes per year. $130,000 of this would be school taxes, and College Station will still have to pay BISD under the Robin Hood Plan.
4. There will be a huge increase in traffic that College Station roads and infrastructure cannot handle, therefore costing the city of College Station and ultimately costing citizens a high price to accommodate the large increase in traffic and congestion. TxDOT reworking Hwy 6 will help, but this will not benefit the neighborhoods affected.
5. There will be increased loud party noise in family and professional neighborhoods. Students and family environments in imbalanced neighborhoods coexist poorly due to different needs and hours of residents. Again, a new Bryan campus would solve this problem, as the peripheral area will be developed with student needs in mind per the Town and Gown recommendations.
6. An emergency could cause traffic gridlock with a high increase of traffic during a neighborhood evacuation or other disaster, thereby endangering students and citizens of the community.
7. Blinn Board of Trustees' suggestion to sell pads for fast food restaurants near the new campus would negatively impact the eastern College Station residential area rather than locating restaurants/motels on the west side of Highway 6 where few single family residential neighbors are located.
Advantages for the Bryan location:
1. Being gifted 50 acres with option to purchase additional acres at a significant discount, which allows for future growth and expansion at a much lower cost to Blinn and the citizens than the College Station location.
2. The infrastructure for increased traffic and population is already in place and ready without additional monies required.
3. Building could be up and ready for 1,500 students by January 2015 and for 3,500 by August 2015, which is the same as a potential College Station campus.
4. Follows “town and gown” which is to consolidate the students in one area by offering easy access to the school plus amenities that they can use without having to use transportation. It allows both families and students to have most of their needs meet and preserve a place for families.
5. Eventually will generate additional property, school and sales tax as opposed to the College Station site.
6. Solves short term problem and long term answers for Blinn to accommodate more students by being ready for January classes plus intermediate and long range needs.
7. Easy access to Blinn from Rudder High school for potential students and students taking advanced classes. Teachers and counselors have easier access to help the students that are
interested in Blinn.
8. Can be in the new buildings for under $10 million dollars as opposed to $10 plus million dollars and up to $25 million dollars in debt from issuance of bonds.