Potential sites for school selected
Chapel Hill-Carrboro district selects two historically black neighborhoods
Published: Wed, Apr. 16, 2008 12:30AM
Modified Wed, Apr. 16, 2008 02:44AM
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closeCHAPEL HILL -- The historically black neighborhoods of Northside and Rogers Road are on the short list of building sites for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school district's next elementary school, scheduled to open in August 2011.
Steve Scroggs, assistant superintendent for support services, will be looking Thursday night for the school board's direction about which site to pursue first.
The Northside site, owned by Orange County a few blocks from West Franklin Street, was built as a school in 1924 and houses a pre-kindergarten program.
THE CONTENDERS
A school district committee has come up with a list of pros and cons for the two sites.
NORTHSIDE
PROS
* Land costs are minimal.
* Site is terraced for construction.
* Utilities available.
* Entry from Caldwell and McMasters streets could separate bus and walking traffic.
* Natural walk zone, has sidewalks.
* May be the last available site in the central part of either town.
* Existing permit allows schools.
* Would be positive for the neighborhood.
CONS
* Consideration for present pre-kindergarten operation would be required.
* Consideration of attendance zones is required to balance school's socioeconomic makeup.
* Some demolition would probably be required, adding to construction costs.
* Consideration of historical nature of the building would be required.
* The Neighborhood Conservation District would restrict the height of the building.
* A prototype (Scroggs or Rashkis) would be difficult to fit on this site.
GREENE TRACT/ ROGERS ROAD AREA
PROS
* Land costs are minimal.
* Site is relatively flat.
* The use of a prototype might be possible.
* The site received a positive first review from the Rogers Road Area Task Force.
* The site would be surrounded by open space.
* Would be positive for the neighborhood.
CONS
* The multi-jurisdictional ownership would require careful planning efforts.
* Careful consideration of attendance zones would be required to balance school's socioeconomic makeup.
* Sewer is not on site and would have to be provided in conjunction with affordable housing.
* Proximity to Seawell and Morris Grove elementary schools would make redistricting difficult.
* Improvements to Purefoy Road would be required.
More Orange County
The Rogers Road neighborhood site sits off Purefoy Road in the Greene Tract, a piece of land owned by Orange County, Carrboro and Chapel Hill.
At a recent meeting of the Rogers Road Area Task Force, Carrboro Alderman Joal Hall Broun supported an elementary school there.
Since integration, no local school has been built in a predominantly black neighborhood, she said. Schools tend to make neighborhoods more stable, she said.
cheryl.sadgrove@newsobserver.com or (919) 932-2005
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