Contracts with six separate owners for the assemblage of 10 parcels totaling 101 acres were approved: Stone Ridge Community Developments LLC for $4.1 million; Aldie Investments LLC for $2.6 million; Floyd and Sandra Kline for $890,000; Doris Larsen for $878,104; Atif Ihsan Shah for $875,000; and Robert and Frances Hall for $723,623, for a total purchase price of $10.15 million. The School Board approved $550,000 in deposits to secure the multiple contracts.
Loudoun supervisors, school board members and staffs for both boards have been involved in discussions on a newly agreed upon process regarding land acquisition. LCPS had closed door approval from a majority of supervisors for the purchase of the Wheatland property in western Loudoun County for the co-location of three schools--an elementary, middle and a high school--but supervisor support for the project subsequently collapsed.
In a telephone interview Tuesday with the Independent, School Board Chairman Robert DuPree (Dulles) spoke of the collaboration with county supervisors. "We moved forward with the contract with the full acquiescence of the Board of Supervisors," DuPree said, and referenced meetings between supervisors, school board members and respective staffs. Regarding the $10.15 million purchase price for the 101-acre site for the two schools. DuPree said supervisors had been advised of "the potential, likely and final purchase price." DuPree also advised that LCPS had filed the necessary commission permit Wednesday morning, Oct. 28, and requested an expedited approval process. HS-7 is scheduled to open in 2012 to relieve projected overcrowding at Freedom High School.
In casting the lone vote against the $10.15 million real estate proposal School board member John Stevens (Potomac) recalled recent history with the Board of Supervisors, specifically the Wheatland school site, when "...we walked hand in hand with them on previous efforts to buy land for schools and had their approval,” Stevens said. “I am not confident just because the supervisors have said they will support these contracts, will they support them when it really counts."
Stevens again confirmed his support for a major change in the land acquisition process. “The Board of Supervisors needs to purchase land for schools,” not the School Board, Stevens said.
An expedited process for county approval of the HS-7 school site is similar to the recent accommodations supervisors provided in the approval process for middle school, MS-5 site, also in the Dulles South area. An expedited process does not, however, compromise public input and participation, as hearings and community information meetings will be held with time allocated for citizen comments.
If all goes as planned “HS-7 will open in 1,043 days, in September 2012,” said At-Large School Board member Tom Reed of the board’s approval of the contract at the regular Oct. 27 meeting.
julia@loudouni.com
Add comment