Amid neighborhood concerns, Lawrence school district leaders have decided to bump up a drainage project at Lawrence High School, 1901 La.

Now included in a plan to overhaul athletic facilities on the campus is an estimated $9,000 project to improve drainage on the western side of the LHS property.

It would mainly help drainage along a swale where water collects along Alabama Street and onto neighbors’ properties.

“It’s an issue we can address on our property, and so if we can take that off of there it’s better for us, too,” said Tom Bracciano, division director for operations and facility planning.

But overall, the plan is still drawing concern from Centennial Neighborhood residents about the quick timeline and questions on drainage, parking and noise near the LHS property.

District administrators want to complete an estimated $2.8 million project this fall at LHS and Free State to give both schools combination football and soccer stadiums on campus. The district also wants to add softball and baseball fields, and another soccer field and tennis courts near LHS in addition to about 400 parking spaces in place of the current Lawrence Tennis Center on the south side of the LHS campus.

The facilities would give both high schools better on-site practice fields so students wouldn’t have to drive off campus for practice. The district also plans to use stadiums there for competition for a few years, possibly until a sports complex could be built.

Administrators have said newer technology could help concentrate stadium lights and a sound system to minimize impact on the Centennial Neighborhood, even though neighbors are skeptical.

“Where can they show us that this has been done in a neighborhood?” said resident Arly Allen, who lives two blocks from LHS.

By the end of the week, administrators will submit a site plan for all of the improved fields and drainage at LHS, and they will be seeking input from the public during a 6:30 p.m. meeting tonight at the LHS library, 1901 La. It will be the third public meeting in about a month.

School board members likely won’t vote on any of the projects until next week as the district waits on the results of an audit, but administrators have been trying to prepare ahead of time.

Bracciano said Monday he found files that showed discussion about improving fields at LHS since 1989. He also said the district has sought input and tried to work with neighbors this year on their concerns.

Neighbors need that contact. “Give us a break here. Give us a little time to understand what’s happening,” Allen said.