It’s too bad that it took a lawsuit to trigger the necessary negotiation, but it’s good to see that the Lawrence school district and neighbors of new athletic fields at Lawrence High School have come to an agreement that will allow the project to move forward.

As is true in most such cases, there probably are people on both sides of this issue who aren’t satisfied with the settlement announced late Thursday, but modifications to plans for the field apparently will mitigate many of the neighbors’ concerns. An attorney representing the neighbors called the modifications “substantial,” and it appears they will have a significant impact on the uses of the fields and the subsequent effects on nearby property.

Concerning the structure of the fields, school officials agreed to limit lighting on the fields and give neighbors input on landscaping west of the stadium. They also agreed that the press box would be built on the east side, away from houses. The agreement also puts restrictions on the use of the lights and sound system.

Perhaps the most important element in the agreement was to ban the use of any of the fields, except for new tennis courts, by Lawrence Parks and Recreation. The school district allows Parks and Rec to use many school facilities, which accommodates more activities and reduces the need for additional facilities. This probably is a necessary accommodation because of the close proximity of residential housing, but it limits the value of the new fields. Maybe if the fields prove to be less of a problem than some neighbors expect, terms for their usage can be renegotiated in the future.

It’s important to note that the settlement approved Thursday involved no money. That’s a credit to the neighbors because it confirms that, although they were seeking changes in the plans, they weren’t trying to use a lawsuit to profit monetarily from the situation.

School district officials should have learned a lesson from this experience. It’s understandable that they put this project on the fast track because they wanted to take advantage of good weather to get construction under way. In the long run, however, they might have been better off communicating and working with neighborhood residents before the lawyers had to get involved.