Says Lost Trail Space To Be Made Up
posted December 19, 2005
County School Supt. Dr. Jesse Register said Monday night he agrees with an architect's assessment that the new $25 million Signal Mountain middle/high school should go in the center of Shackleford Ridge Park.
Facing an outcry from a number of residents who do not want the county park disturbed, Dr. Register said additional land will be set aside to make up for lost trails that have been developed by Sam Powell and other volunteers.
Architect Bill Wilkerson said there should be a net gain of several acres of space for trails.
It had been planned to put the school near the park across from Nolan Elementary School, but Mr. Wilkerson said there was not enough room after it was decided to add the middle school to the planned high school.
Dr. Paul Nolan, one of the namesakes for Nolan Elementary along with his wife, Anne, spoke in favor of putting the school in the 280-acre park.
He said the large tract he helped acquire from the Bradford family was meant for both recreation and schools, and it was not designated where each would go.
He said he did not like disturbing the trails and park, "but plans do have to change from time to time."
Mr. Powell, longtime mountain trails and conservation leader, spoke against putting the school in the park. He said he believed a way could be found to fit it on the original site.
He said parking could be placed at a site planned for a picnic area, and a footbridge could lead from there over to the school.
Mr. Powell said when he first heard about the move, he contacted county parks and they had not heard about putting the school in the park. He said Jeannine Alday, top aide to County Mayor Claude Ramsey, was not aware of it, and Mr. Ramsey seemed surprised.
Signal Mountain Councilman Bob Linehart also said he believes the original site would work, and he questioned the assessment by architect Wilkerson, of the Derthick, Henley and Wilkerson firm.
Councilman Linehart said, "I continue to be surprised" by changes in the park plans.
Dave Epperson, a Walden councilman who said he has built a number of high schools, supported putting it in the park. He said Walden residents wanted the school money spent wisely.
Mr. Wilkerson said it was only in recent days that it became apparent that the first site would not work for a school for 1,100 students that could be expanded to some 1,600.
He said it would require a parking deck as well as making the school four stories high.
Dr. Register said, "I don't want a 3- or 4-story high school."
Mr. Wilkerson said he and other members of his firm spent some 125 hours analyzing the site. He said the original location would initially cost some $420,000 more, and eventually $2.5 million to $4.5 million more.
He said, "We wanted to spend the money on a school, not a site," and he said the park site "is much more buildable."
He said the park already has a large parking area, and the school would go in beside it. He said only 35 additional parking spaces would need to be added, though there would be more paving than that.
He said, "We will disrupt as little of the land as possible." He said about 10.5 acres would be taken.
Dr. Register and County School Board Chairman Chip Baker said the plan is to have the school open by the fall of 2008. They said in order to do so there could not be delays regarding the site.
Mr. Powell said he was notified about the school going in the park three hours prior to a public meeting about it, saying it was "kind of a shocker" to him.
He said the county had spent millions of dollars on the park, and he said it was "bought for a park, not for a school."
Doug Dooley, who heads the Signal Mountain soccer program involving 600 youths, questioned whether the school would take over the existing fields. Dr. Register said the schools would not pre-empt the fields, though he said there could be a sharing of fields.
Officials said it has not been determined where school fields would go, and those are not included in the $25 million pricetag.
Commissioner Richard Casavant, who supports putting the school in the park, said one of the baseball fields was built to high school standards in anticipation of a future high school.
Commissioner Casavant said the emphasis was on the academic program, and sites for ball fields had not been worked out. He said, "We are building the best academic high school in the state, but probably we will have the worst football team in the county."
He said there was no federal money that went into the park.
There were also questions raised about traffic problems with a single road (Shackleford Ridge Road) serving the two schools. Dr. Register said there will be separate opening and closing times at the two schools.
Mr. Wilkerson said a traffic engineer is involved in the project.
He said there had been consideration of a new road, but it was not in the current budget.
Mr. Powell said Shackleford Ridge Park "is a gorgeous park that all kind of people support."
One resident said, "Why are we giving up land for recreational use? We're giving up something here that is very valuable."
Joan Withers said, "We voted for the school to be at this (first) site. People have spent thousands of hours working on these trails."
Margaret Smith, who supports putting the school in the park, said it would be an opportunity for nature study for students.
She said, "Anybody who has built a house knows there are changes in plans."
The public meeting held at Nolan Elementary was also to discuss the curriculum at the school. School officials passed out literature touting the academies that have been set up at many other county schools.
County officials said the land at Shackleford Ridge Park is owned by the county schools, and the park portion is leased to the county to operate.
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Sam Powell
Photograph by John Wilson
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