County Planning Board Allows West Pine Elementary Expansion

As of Friday, June 10, 2011

The Moore County Planning Board has approved an amendment to the conditional use permit authorizing the Board of Education to proceed with expansion of the West Pine Elementary School campus.

The permit approved at a Thursday night meeting allows the school system to place three mobile classrooms on campus to accommodate students being reassigned from Academy Heights School, which is being closed. Once the first phase of the school expansion is complete, the mobile classrooms will be removed. The original CUP was approved in 2009.

In other action Thursday the planning panel approved a conditional use permit requested by Howard Warren to place a manufactured home as an accessory dwelling unit on a 3.4-acre tract on Warren Road east of the Putnam-Glendon Road intersection.

A CUP request for a home occupation of an industrial or commercial nature was tabled until a July meeting to give the planning staff and the applicants an opportunity to address issues raised by board members. The applicants, Pedro Arredondo and Marie Angelica Nieves, want to use a three-acre tract on Kyle Road near the intersections with Walter Road and Niagara-Carthage Road for an automobile service business. Issues pertain to parking and buffering.

In an unusual request, the board recommended that property de-annexed by the town of Cameron be zoned Rural Agricultural. The property consists of 44.27 acres on Dalrymple Road. The petitioner is Royce Edmonds. The board’s recommendation now goes to the board of commissioners for a final decision.

The board adjourned in its planning capacity in order to convene as the watershed review board to consider a request by K2 Solutions for a special non-residential intensity allocation. The board approved the request to increase the maximum built-upon area from 24% to 55% to enable the business to construct on a 1.46-acre parcel on U.S. 1 near Youngs Road.

After reconvening as the planning board, members discussed the scheduling of public input workshops on the Unified Development Ordinance.

More details will appear in the print version of The Pilot.

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CSmithson 1 year, 11 months ago

This school just opened and they are already expanding it. Meanwhile, Southern Pines Primary and Southern Pines Elementary have a fair amount of room for more students and are also closer to where many AHES students live than the WPES campus. In fact, they have room to absorb all the students from Academy Heights.

One would think that in the face of an $8.2 million shortfall our Board of Education would better utilize EXISTING resources before expanding schools. One wonders how many jobs could have been saved if the board made better use of buildings they already own instead of throwing more up and leasing more trailers. Stinks for those losing their jobs...

Arestorer 1 year, 11 months ago

I agree, Its like they have to sign away common sense to become a Board member of any kind in Moore Co.

CSmithson 1 year, 11 months ago

CCNC? Pinehurst #6? Monticello? National? All are closer to SPPS and SPES than West Pine, but don't let common sense and available classroom space get in the way of a Board of Education decision!

mooremedic 1 year, 11 months ago

Absolutely 100% dead on Chris....this is ridiculous, the school is one year old and already too small. Yes I know they are adding unexpected students from AHES but really how hard would it have been to plan ahead for future growth rather than to mar up the campus and the budget with crappy modulars and wasted tax dollars?....

Bflat 1 year, 11 months ago

Very well said! All this expansion doesn't make sense in view of the budget shortfalls. Taking something away and then spending more money in its place is just wrong.

None 1 year, 11 months ago

Perhaps the School Administration can seek out the magical money tree growing in Carthage to fund this venture. Let's not forget the 4 million they have in reserve so why are they asking for 3.1 million? As a former math teacher, Purser would know that $900,000 would be available to spend down for other projects. The 120 positions the MCSB is a stand-alone point without identifying those positions. From what I've been told, most of the positions are open - unfilled positions, one is a maintenance position, several are part-time bus drivers. How about an accounting of blatant statements thrown out to the public without any substantiations, or qualifying those numbers. Just like the phantom budget numbers known only to Dr. Purser and the CFO.

None 1 year, 11 months ago

I bet the game plan is to eliminate the year round school due to budget shortfalls. What is coming out of Purser's office is just a bunch of slick doublespeak. It may all sound really good on the surface but it's what is not being said that is most important. I still want to know about all those .5 positions being eliminated.

None 1 year, 11 months ago

On target again Bflat...politicians are at their best when they can frame a sentence to say, "I didn't lie about that", when in fact they left off the most important facts. Not one person with the Moore County Board of Education or the Administration have commented on the 4 million dollars in reserve. They still ask for 8.1 million, the county budget covers 5 million and they still want 3.1 million. The have 4 million in the bank...it's political maneuvering just like the airport. The airport board asks for more money when they have 1.5 million in the bank. Look at the MBoC and their double speak.

carolina_girl 1 year, 11 months ago

Although I certainly agree with Chris, as well as the other comments made here, I also believe expansion and new construction is paid by the lottery money as it is allocated strictly for new construction. I agree it is ridiculous to build as opposed to using existing underutilized resources. I look forward to the day the current administration wakes up to the needs of this county and learns to put our children first.

CNMT 1 year, 11 months ago

And just think...the bulk of the incoming families we should expect due to BRAC hasn't even happened yet and we already have overcrowded schools, etc. Where are we going to put those students? Will the families even consider Moore County knowing we don't really have room for their children in our schools???