A new school proposed for land adjacent to West Pine Middle School made progress Thursday night when the Moore County Planning Board voted unanimously to approve a conditional use permit.

The Board of Education plans to build the school on a 25.42-acre tract on the north side of N.C. 211, adjacent to the West Pine campus.

A neighboring property owner, Donnie Corcoran, questioned the location and raised objections to the traffic that would invade an area now largely rural in nature.

John Hawthorne, supervisor of construction for the Moore County Schools, said that the N.C. Department of Transportation would make improvements to Archie Road, to be the main access to the new campus. NCDOT plans call for addition of special school lanes and both right turn and left turn lanes from Archie Road. He said there should be no traffic back-up on Archie Road.

Board member Kim VonCanon expressed sympathy for property owners in the area, and fellow board member Martha Blake asked about alternative access to the campus.

However, Hawthorne said all alternatives had been studied and the proposed design was the best available, considering regulations and guidelines from NCDOT, the N.C. Department of Insurance and public school building laws.

Staff planner Tim Garner advised the board that the staff recommended approval with a series of conditions attached.

To consider the CUP request, the planning body conducted a quasi-judicial hearing. Corcoran was the only person speaking, other than Hawthorne and architect Mollie Wood.

More details will appear in Sunday's print edition of The Pilot.