Petition Calling for Action by the Town/Village of Harrison Planning Board:regarding Manhattanville's application to build a Training Facility and Fields for Major League Soccer

We the undersigned call for the Planning Board to take the following actions to protect our environment, to protect us from additional traffic and safety hazards, to protect our property values, and preserve the rural nature and historic character of our community.

To protect our community, we are requesting the Planning Board make a decision

1. to require Manhattanville to submit a Full Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) with all supporting studies to assess potential impacts and to determine whether additional mitigation measures may be necessary for its application to construct a Facility for a new, professional Major League Soccer team on the College campus.

2. to impose “Conditions” on the application to guarantee that this “Training Facility” does not turn into a “Playing Field” for any type of MLS games. We request guarantees that there will be no MLS games; no MLS scrimmages; no additional tournaments etc. that will bring in numerous spectators; and no opening up of the practice fields that the professionals are playing on- while practicing- to spectators and press/media.

Further we ask that The Planning Board to adhere to the Town Village of Harrison's Comprehensive Plan (section 1.2.5 and 6.1.5) that states “Harrison will seek cooperation between the colleges and the Town/Village to protect the interest of residents.”

The historical documented impacts of such development that a MLS “Playing Field” or major league sports complex will bring (and we want to prevent) include traffic congestion, road widening, significant loss of property values, and environmental threats such air pollution from all the extra cars and team buses, excess noise and change in the overall image and appearance of the community of Purchase.

Thank you for your consideration.