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New school on Hayden Farm is delayed for at least a year
State denies planning OK
Friday, May 8, 2009
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The state government has denied its approval to begin planning a new elementary school on the Hayden Farm in Leonardtown, a decision that will delay construction.
The St. Mary's County commissioners heard criticism over the timing of a special Christmas Eve meeting last year where they decide to buy the 172 acres for public uses. The commissioners said the timing was necessary to win state planning approval for the school this year.
Critics said the purchase was rushed through without enough public comment and said the county paid too much for the land at $5.3 million, well above two appraisals.
St. Mary's school officials told the commissioners this week the state did not approve the planning for the new school because the purchase of the property did not go to settlement in January or by April 23, two state deadlines.
The county finalized the purchase on the Hayden Farm on April 28. The contract with sellers allowed 120 to 150 days to settle. It went to settlement on the 125th day.
The planning approval would have carried with it no immediate state funding. But now the project is "already sort of bumped out a year," Brad Clements, chief administrative officer for public schools, told the commissioners Monday.
"It was turned down because we didn't have the site tied down," said Commissioner Daniel H. Raley (D).
State planning approval could come next year.
The elementary school at the Hayden site was scheduled to open in August 2013. Without its opening, overcrowding in elementary schools in the county would increase to 489 students. By August 2014, the system would be overcrowded by 827 students if the new school doesn't open then, based on current projections.
"Moving out one year doesn't hurt us tremendously," Clements said Tuesday. In order to build a new school, projections must show at least 50 percent overcapacity for the first year the school opens.
In January, Commission President Francis Jack Russell (D) said of the timing of the decision to buy the land, "I didn't see where it was a big deal on Christmas Eve, for my part." There was "no secret motive, no ulterior motive. I thought this would facilitate them getting a new school site."
On Tuesday, he said, "We thought we [were] going to have enough time to get the deal done. I don't know where the glitch was after we bought the Hayden Farm."
"If we hadn't at least made an attempt to acquire a site, we know we would have been back further then," said Commissioner Thomas A. Mattingly Sr. (D) on Wednesday. County government had been working on acquiring the land since May 2006. The commissioners were told that having the land under contract would have been good enough for the state, he said.
"Irregardless of when the property was purchased, there was a need for that piece of property," he said, and now it is secured for future use.
Another issue, Clements said is, "The state won't give us money" unless it is deeded to the public school system. County government attorney Christy Chesser said the board of county commissioners holds the title.
"I haven't heard of that, but I expect that," Mattingly said. A transfer for the school portion of the land to the board of education would not take much effort.
Clements said, "We are one of 31 [projects] asking for planning approval." The state was only prepared to approve a limited number this year. Approving the planning for the Hayden site school would essentially commit the state to funding a share of the construction costs later.
The county commissioners agreed Monday to build a new library on the land, and plans call for there to eventually be two schools there, including the new elementary school, termed 0808 in school planning documents.
