ITHACA, N.Y. -- Initial plans for the construction of two athletic practice fields at Cornell University's paddocks area -- at Ellis Hollow and Pine Tree roads in the Town of Ithaca -- will be presented by Cornell officials at the Tuesday, Oct. 15, Town of Ithaca Planning Board meeting.

The town planning board will meet at 7 p.m. at Ithaca Town Hall, 215 N. Tioga St., in the city of Ithaca. Cornell's sketch plan review is scheduled to begin at 7:45 p.m.

The two planned athletic practice fields would have lights, but no intercollegiate competitions or spectator accommodations are proposed for the fields. A surface parking lot, a small support building for changing and treating injuries, bathrooms, landscaping, fencing and site drainage are also planned for the site. Three additional fields are proposed for a future phase at the same location.

The university will prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the project, including public scoping. Issues expected to be addressed in the DEIS would include, but not be limited to, visual impacts, neighborhood character, traffic and parking, drainage, noise, light, impacts to existing land use, alternatives and other relevant issues identified in the public scoping process.

The project is designed to replace two of Cornell's central-campus athletic practice fields, scheduled to be displaced by the planned construction of a Life Science Technology Building.

The paddocks area currently is used by Cornell's Equine Research Annex, and a small number of horses are on the site at any given time. University planners say it is possible to reconfigure the area for the practice fields and allow for paddock use in the remaining space.

Users of the existing central-campus practice fields include members of Cornell's women's lacrosse team and women's and men's soccer teams during the fall and spring seasons. In addition, boys' and girls' soccer and lacrosse summer camps use the fields in July. The fields are not used during the winter, from late November through March, nor between May and August, except by the summer camps. Activity at the proposed fields is expected to be about the same as that at the existing fields.