Carmel Clay Schools finally backed down and scrapped the plan to pave over our home course. This win proves that even a massive bureaucracy will retreat when the community refuses to stay silent. Keep your eyes open because we will be watching to ensure they keep their word.
August 21, 2020
Final supporters
Located on the campus of Carmel High School, Greyhound Park has been home to the cross country team since the early 2000s and is beloved by the local running community. The grassy 1-kilometer loop has served as a fundamental location for the training and competition of runners from elementary to high school and beyond. After being an integral part of the team’s history of winning a combined 34 boys and girls Indiana High School state championships, Greyhound Park is now endangered as Carmel Clay Schools have proposed to build a parking lot in its place to accommodate expanding construction at Carmel High School (article here).
We ask that you help us maintain a tradition of eXCellence by preserving Greyhound Park for the sake of Carmel Cross Country, the local running community, and to retain the natural beauty of the landscape. Therefore, we are asking that you voice your support to not build a parking lot on Greyhound Park by signing this petition. It is important to note that the school district may be willing to consider an alternate location for the proposed parking lot. From one runner to the next wherever you may be reading this, your support of cross country and our local running community is immensely appreciated - Thank you!
UPDATE 7/15: Thank you for the support!
In an email to Current, CCS Supt. Michael Beresford said the proposed plans are “very preliminary” and that the district now plans to look elsewhere to add parking spaces.
“The parking lot noted on the plans was basically a placeholder in case we are required to replace parking spaces lost to new construction. We will be meeting with city officials as part of the planning process and discuss parking options to determine if CCS will be required to maintain the current number of spaces,” Beresford stated. “If required, we will look for other available options for the spaces, not the cross-country course.” (article here)
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
July 7, 2020
July 4, 2020
We just hit one hundred signatures. The administration at Carmel Clay Schools needs to understand that we are not going to let them pave over our history for a parking lot.
Reached 100 supporters
July 2, 2020
July 1, 2020
Carmel Clay Schools thinks they can pave over our history for a parking lot while we stay quiet. Get this to 100 signatures right now so they stop ignoring us.
66 Comments
While I know CHS would greatly benefit from additional parking options for students, the safe grass training options for XC runners are limited. Maybe a parking garage on the south side of the street where they can expand on the current parking lot would be a good alternative.
Please don’t take away the training course for such an important sport. It’s one of the few sports, extra curricular activities (performing arts) that does not “cut” students. It encourages personal best performance.
My grandpa has been taking care of this land for decades and many legacies and stories and memories have been made on this course for many many people. Move the parking lot somewhere else.
This is the one spot on campus that the cross country teams have to run on grass which allows our kids to run on a competition surface. This softer surface also provides our kids with a respite from hard pavement and sidewalks, helping prevent injury. Please protect this space for the future of our Carmel XC athletes.
In addition to the historical and practical importance to CHS athletes, the lower loop also borders a creek. A parking lot will likely lead to additional, harmful runoff from the asphalt area into the watershed.
Park somewhere else! Why not on the football or soccer field? Because this is the running field.
Hope u well!
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Carmel Clay Schools finally backed down and scrapped the plan to pave over our home course. This win proves that even a massive bureaucracy will retreat when the community refuses to stay silent. Keep your eyes open because we will be watching to ensure they keep their word.
August 21, 2020
Final supporters
Located on the campus of Carmel High School, Greyhound Park has been home to the cross country team since the early 2000s and is beloved by the local running community. The grassy 1-kilometer loop has served as a fundamental location for the training and competition of runners from elementary to high school and beyond. After being an integral part of the team’s history of winning a combined 34 boys and girls Indiana High School state championships, Greyhound Park is now endangered as Carmel Clay Schools have proposed to build a parking lot in its place to accommodate expanding construction at Carmel High School (article here).
We ask that you help us maintain a tradition of eXCellence by preserving Greyhound Park for the sake of Carmel Cross Country, the local running community, and to retain the natural beauty of the landscape. Therefore, we are asking that you voice your support to not build a parking lot on Greyhound Park by signing this petition. It is important to note that the school district may be willing to consider an alternate location for the proposed parking lot. From one runner to the next wherever you may be reading this, your support of cross country and our local running community is immensely appreciated - Thank you!
UPDATE 7/15: Thank you for the support!
In an email to Current, CCS Supt. Michael Beresford said the proposed plans are “very preliminary” and that the district now plans to look elsewhere to add parking spaces.
“The parking lot noted on the plans was basically a placeholder in case we are required to replace parking spaces lost to new construction. We will be meeting with city officials as part of the planning process and discuss parking options to determine if CCS will be required to maintain the current number of spaces,” Beresford stated. “If required, we will look for other available options for the spaces, not the cross-country course.” (article here)
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
July 7, 2020
July 4, 2020
We just hit one hundred signatures. The administration at Carmel Clay Schools needs to understand that we are not going to let them pave over our history for a parking lot.
Reached 100 supporters
July 2, 2020
July 1, 2020
Carmel Clay Schools thinks they can pave over our history for a parking lot while we stay quiet. Get this to 100 signatures right now so they stop ignoring us.
66 Comments
I met my wife on the course when we were 15. We got engaged on it 8 years later. Would really like to see it stay as is. It's a very nice wooded area with beautiful trees. In middle school this was my favorite course to race. It was sad when they made the upper loop inaccessible and ruined the course.
While I know CHS would greatly benefit from additional parking options for students, the safe grass training options for XC runners are limited. Maybe a parking garage on the south side of the street where they can expand on the current parking lot would be a good alternative.
Please don’t take away the training course for such an important sport. It’s one of the few sports, extra curricular activities (performing arts) that does not “cut” students. It encourages personal best performance.
My grandpa has been taking care of this land for decades and many legacies and stories and memories have been made on this course for many many people. Move the parking lot somewhere else.
This is the one spot on campus that the cross country teams have to run on grass which allows our kids to run on a competition surface. This softer surface also provides our kids with a respite from hard pavement and sidewalks, helping prevent injury. Please protect this space for the future of our Carmel XC athletes.
In addition to the historical and practical importance to CHS athletes, the lower loop also borders a creek. A parking lot will likely lead to additional, harmful runoff from the asphalt area into the watershed.
Park somewhere else! Why not on the football or soccer field? Because this is the running field.
Hope u well!
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I met my wife on the course when we were 15. We got engaged on it 8 years later. Would really like to see it stay as is. It's a very nice wooded area with beautiful trees. In middle school this was my favorite course to race. It was sad when they made the upper loop inaccessible and ruined the course.