County commissioners have shot down another land deal for a new school.
As noted in today's article by Michael Biesecker, commissioners voted 4-3 on Monday to turn down a $5.1 million high school and elementary school site north of Raleigh. A majority of the commissioners were unhappy about the estimated $2 million added cost for clearing the rocky land.
"Other than the Hope Diamond, I don't know many people who are going to pay that much for a rock," said Commissioner Paul Coble in the article.
Over the past year, commissioners have refused to back several sites brought by the school board. It's one of the reasons why it's been suggested that commissioners take over purchase of school sites.
As for the latest site, commissioners didn't buy the argument from Betty Parker, the school district's real estate director, that other nearby sites would have a similar risk of having rocky land.
""With those other sites, rock is a risk," Commissioner Tony Gurley said in the article. "Here, it is an absolute certainty."
But what was the difference was that Democratic Commissioner Lindy Brown proved to the swing vote against the deal. She cited e-mails from residents urging the commissioners to be more accountable with taxpayer money.
Commissioners had raised objections last month when the site was brought up for an initial vote. Click on the links below: Wednesday, Sep. 30, 2009 School site dispute continues BY T. KEUNG HUI - Staff writer At the Wake commissioners' meeting last week, District 1 candidate Debbie Vair was planning to present to an alternative to the Forestville Road location for Forest Ridge High. But Vair wasn't allowed to make the presentation because Commissioner Betty Lou Ward objected to letting a school-board candidate speak. Eagles stepped in for Vair and made the presentation in favor of acquiring a site on U.S. 401 near Louisbury Road, about a mile from the Forestville Road site. Eagles said it would have made more sense to let Vair speak because she had done all the research on the alternative site. The next day, school administrators told school board members why they think the Forest Ridge site is superior even though it entails $5.8 million in additional road improvement costs. Administrators said the 52-acre parcel Eagles proposed is too small. The Forestville Road site is about 60 acres. Administrators also said there would be significant access issues for the alternative site because of its close proximity to the planned Rolesville Bypass. They said that's why they had not previously recommended that site. Eagles said administrators misrepresented the property to board members.
Say NO to Forest Ridge High School! Now they estimate the road improvements could cost taxpayers ANOTHER 7.4 million dollars. Where do they think this money is going to come from? We also stand to lose a great part of North Carolina History!
Wake County Commissioners meeting August 17, 2009. We are number 8 on the agenda.
Also watch the Wake County Commissioners meeting on September 8th The Forest Ridge High School is not on the agenda but... is discussed! DOT was at the meeting!
http://wake.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=7
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6969556
A mix of Wake County school board politics and catcalling between Rolesville Mayor Frank Eagles and school administrators is playing out over the contested Forest Ridge High School site.
October 8, 2009 Update
Wake's new high school site causes stir with neighbors
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6159956/
Wednesday, Sep. 30, 2009
