Frequently asked questions
Protect Our US Neighborhood, Inc. was formed by a group of Shaker residents who live in the vicinity of University School’s lower school campus. The group came together after US announced its plans to build a high school sports stadium on its lower school campus. The group has incorporated in the State of Ohio, opened a bank account, hired legal counsel, created a website, started a petition, and provides ongoing communication to the neighborhood about the status of the stadium project and our efforts to stop it.
US plans to install an artificial turf field marked for football, soccer and lacrosse games on the footprint of the existing grass football field. To widen the field, it will narrow the running track that surrounds the field to three lanes. New home crowd stands to accommodate 644 fans will be erected on the east side of the field (back facing Ashley Road) and platform space to accomodate a press box will be built on top of the home crowd stands, estimated to be 25-30 feet tall. Visiting crowd stands will be erected for 263 fans on the west side of the field (back facing the new middle school building). Space to accomodate standing room crowd will surround the field. A large, 264 square foot scoreboard will be built on the north end of the stadium (facing Brantley Road). Speakers for a public address system will be installed. Four permanent light towers 80 feet tall will be erected on the the east and west sides of the stadium, flanking the grandstands. The stadium will be surrounded by a chain link fence. A new roadway entrance to access the east end home stands will be added off Brantley Road. Fabric windscreens with space for graphics such as advertising will wrap around the new grandstands.
Parking and traffic congestion (including parking and traffic which narrows or blocks emergency routes on Brantley and Claythorne).
Reflected light.
Crowd noise and noise from the PA system.
Safety and security, especially following night games.
Trash and debris spread throughout our neighborhoods.
Destabilizing and altering the character of a quiet residential neighborhood.
Impact on property values.
Unclear. The US Head of School has explained that US is building a second high school stadium for night games at its Shaker Heights campus to foster unity and connection between students at the two campuses.
US has a 220-acre campus situated in Hunting Valley, about 5 miles away from its Shaker campus. The Hunting Valley campus includes a football stadium in a secluded area, surrounded by fields and forest; no houses are visible from this facility. There is extensive parking adjacent to the Hunting Valley stadium. This stadium does not include lights.
US cites a 1977 deed restriction that prevents them from adding lights to their Hunting Valley footbal stadium. While true, the deed resitriction does allow them to seek approval from the Village of Hunting Valley to install lights, but a Freedom of Information Act request revealed that US has not sought a variance or approval from Hunting Valley to do so.
Here is the relevant excerpt from the deed restriction available on the property search section of the Cuyahoga County Auditor's website:
"NOW, THEREFORE, UNIVERSITY SCHOOL, on behalf of itself, its successors and assigns, agrees with James J. Nance and Laura B. Nance and the survivor of them, his or her heirs, representatives and assigns, as a covenant running with the University School Property and with the said land of James J. Nance and Laura B. Nance that it will not conduct, or suffer to be conducted, night athletic events, nor install lights for night athletic events, on the University School Property, without the prior consent of the Council of the Village of Hunting Valley, or, in the event said Council ceases to exist, without the prior consent of the legislative body of the municipality wherein the University School Property is located."