Alessandro DeBrevi
Sports editor
adebrevi@jccc.edu
Residents of the college’s surrounding neighborhoods met at GEB 233 on Tuesday night to voice their concerns regarding the proposed 10-foot path that would connect Stoll Park to campus.
Chris Gray, Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications, said the college only plans to use the connecting pathway in the case of a catastrophic event.
“We will simply be using an existing pathway and formalizing a south entry and exit point for the rarest of emergencies,” said Gray.
There was one sentiment echoed by the residents at the listening session.
“I don’t trust you,” said Pam Palmer, resident, who summarized the collective mood.
These feelings of mistrust stem from a 2005 attempt by the college to take over Stoll Park and find another location for the park to exist. This history lead many to assume that the college is not being completely honest about the scope of this project.
Residents like Paul Satterfield not only expressed their doubt that the college would make no further alterations to the park, but they also said this proposed plan is not the safest choice for the college and park-goers.
“I think everyone is concerned with the students at [the college],” said Satterfield. “I do not think that this is the optimal solution as emergency vehicles and any vehicles can access the gravel road currently in place.”
The college has determined that the road will only be accessible to campus and park police and would only be used in specific situations.
“[The college] is not paving or putting down a new road in the park but using the existing footpath and simply connecting to the footpath from our property and putting up a gate to restrict any vehicle access at both ends that would only be opened by JCCC Police or the Johnson County Parks Department Police,” said Gray. “This is only to be used for emergency only such as if there was a catastrophic event on campus such as an active shooter, severe explosion, destruction of one side of Campus.”
Many in attendance discussed the possibility of another exit that does not connect with the park.
“I think cutting through a busy park full of children in case of emergency would cause even more pandemonium,” said Satterfield.
The project is still at an early stage and there will be many more discussions to come. The next formal meeting will be held at the college on October 3 at 7 p.m.
Gray said, “We are constantly looking for ways to ensure safety and security for our students and community and felt that such a simple step of this emergency access point for emergency vehicles or evacuation of campus made a lot of sense if it were ever to be needed which we hope it does not.”