MUSCOGEE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD/CITY COUNCIL GROWTH/DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2006
Opening:
The regular meeting of the Growth Development Committee was called to order at
1:10 p.m. on March 21, 2006 in the Ground Floor Conference Room.
Present:
Councilors Glenn Davis, Evelyn Turner Pugh, and Evelyn Woodson, School Board
Members Naomi Buckner, Pat Hugley Green, and Joseph Roberson. Also present were
City Manager Isaiah Hugley, Deputy City Manager David Arrington, Assistant City
Attorney Jamie Deloach, Interim Superintendent Dr. John Phillips and Recording
Secretary Tameka Colbert.
A. Road/Infrastructure Improvements for Newly Constructed Schools
Councilor Pugh said she knows that Dr. Phillips and the committee went to
Washington to speak on the potential growth, as it relates to the increase in
growth on Ft. Benning. She asked were there any plans or sites selected where
new schools would be placed.
Dr. Phillips responded in saying, there are a couple of sites that have been
selected. He said there are a couple of existing properties owned by the
school district, which are the old Baker High School and also Dawson
Elementary. He said we have been promised 20 acres of land on Ft. Benning but
other than that, there is no other property owned.
Councilor Pugh said the biggest issue to deal with, as a joint committee, would
be putting in the new roads. She said we would have to know the potential
locations of the schools and look at our road plan study to see if there are
road improvements in those areas. She said she would like to agree to
schedule a meeting with the administration once the schools are designed to
insure safe and convenient entrances and exits. Councilor Pugh also said we
might want to include that once we start looking at our road projects and
thinking about what we should go to the state with. She said if it is possible
for a middle school to be built next to Dawson Elementary and possible for an
elementary school to be built on the Ft. Benning side, we need to look at the
St. Mary?s Road widening project.
Councilor Davis said one area where we can work together is coordinating some
of the futures projects. He said we should look at some of the issues a little
more in detail and have some analysis so we can better handle traffic
congestion and at the same time the City can deal with traffic outside the
perimeters of the school areas.
Dr. Phillips said we have been trying to get an alternate route from the North
Side Campus to Williams Roads, so traffic can be taken off of Veterans Parkway
as much as possible. He said there would be 3 schools in that area and they
will fill up before the second year.
Councilor Davis asked did the Bill go through for it to be mandatory to have 2
entrances to a school. Dr. Phillips said yes it did go through.
Councilor Woodson asked if there was a time frame established for the Dawson
Elementary School project.
Dr. Phillips responded by saying for right now with all of the potential
growth, primarily from Ft. Benning, we estimate that there would be about
10,000 school-aged children in the valley. He said there has been a long
ranged plan developed, but if we do not receive the federal funds that are
needed there is no way the schools can be built. He said the only other avenue
we have is the SPLOST and the current SPLOST we have is not up until 2008. He
said we probably wouldn?t realize any money that has been authorized by
Congress until FY08. He said it could take years for those projects to be
established.
Councilor Woodson also asked City Manager Hugley what the projected time frame
would be for the rezoning for homes to be built on St. Mary?s Road.
City Manager Hugley said one would be a period of 15 years and the other one
over a period of 20 years. He said one of the developments would have a little
over 200 homes and the other would have some where close to 300 homes.
Councilor David said what we do at Council is obviously going to affect the
School District. He said is there any way we can help the School District
prior to rezoning in areas where there is over capacity.
Dr. Phillips said he thinks that the School District receives good
information. He said we work with the developers and the Chamber of Commerce
and there are no issues as it relates to rezoning.
Councilor Davis said there have been several complaints from parents regarding
the congestion in the North Side High School area mainly Williams Road and
Veterans Parkway. He said parents that are dropping off their kids cannot turn
because it is dangerous and it is a hazard. He said we have been trying to
address the issue but just recently found out it is a state issue. He said the
state would not approve a turning light and Council cannot approve a turn
signal because it is a state road.
Dr. Phillips said the Department of Transportation performed a study and
indicated that it was not warranted to have a turn signal. He said there would
be two more schools to come online in that area, which would create further
problems. He said when we conducted the meetings for establishing new
attendance areas for elementary schools, parents told us they need a left hand
turn off of Williams Road onto Veterans Parkway. He said the turning lane is
already there but there is not a signal.
B. Cooperative Task Force
Deputy City Manager David Arrington said the School District?s staff, the City
Manager?s staff and the DOT have been working together to get the improvements
made to the North Side Elementary project. He said hopefully the plans would
be completed by the end of the month.
Deputy City Manager David Arrington said there has been some movement toward
the connector road to American Way. He said Mr. Rick Jones is working with the
developer for the PUD. He said we would hope to bring forward a recommendation
to Council. He said we have been discussing an alternate route for that site,
which would be to provide a connect road back to Fortson. He said in doing
this we could exit some traffic away from Veterans Parkway. He said if that
opportunity ever presents itself it would be greatly encouraged.
Deputy City Manager David Arrington said we are in the process of working with
Mr. Heck in identifying some preliminary designs for the intersections around
elementary #6. He said it is early enough in the process to see that it would
be advantageous to us.
C. Agenda for Next Meeting
The item that will be discussed at the next meeting is the Ft. Benning
in-school impact.
Adjournment:
Meeting was adjourned at 2:54 p.m. The next general meeting will be at 1:00
p.m. on April 25, 2006 in the Ground Floor Conference Room.
Minutes submitted by: Tameka J. Colbert
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