Some say building on HPER field will reduce ‘green space’ at USU
Members of the Associated Students of Utah State University Executive Council are sponsoring a resolution advising that the Center for Persons with Disabilities not be built on the HPER field.
Resolution ECR 01-7, “Preservation of Campus Green Space,” was discussed at last week’s ASUSU meeting and referred to the Legislators’ Committee. If it passes that committee, it will be discussed at future Executive Council meetings.
The resolution is sponsored by ASUSU President Ben Riley, Extensions Vice President Jake McBride, Student Advocate Brad Bishop and Academics Vice President Jim Stephenson.
Bishop said, “As a student advocate, I feel that the majority of students don’t want to lose that space to a building. It is in a great location and I feel it sets the mood for the campus. When you come around the corner of Old Main Hill and stop at the light, you see more than just buildings, you see students enjoying themselves.”
For more than 30 years, the HPER’s nine acres of green space have been used as lab space by teachers as well as students.
“In those 30 years the HPER field has been used for its original purpose as well as club sports, intramurals and a focal point for students to meet and enjoy the openness of the campus to the point of overuse now,” said Art Jones, Director of HPER facilities and functions. “[The green space] could not be reduced and accomplish its academic mission as well.”
Gerry Giordano, Dean of the College of Education, said there has been a lot of confusion about his department’s viewpoint.
“We are proponents of saving the green space as well, and if the new CPD building were to be built on the HPER field, more green space would actually be available, but in a different location.”
Relatively more green space will be made available by excavating the old CPD site than would be lost by building the CPD facilities on the HPER field, he said.
Giordano said the reason the HPER is the proposed location is, “when you ask for private donations from people, they like to see their donations be as visible as possible.”
The student advocates maintain that the proposed building is necessary and a compromise could be met between location, accessibility, and maintaining green space.
“The resolution was not sponsored in opposition to CPD or the building but rather in support of the HPER field and its value to the campus,” Riley said. “Personally, the HPER fields yield much more in the overall campus aesthetics than a building ever could. While we are sensitive to the importance of the CPD and receiving private donations for the building, I feel it wise to preserve the remaining green spaces to retain USU’s current atmosphere of openness.”
No architectural firms have been contacted for preliminary or conceptual drawings for the center, though campus planners have been contacted to study the feasibility of the location and keeping the amount of green space the same.
Any comments, concerns, or questions both for and against this resolution may be directed to Riley at benriley@cc.usu.edu.