Friday, March 2, 2001
Friday, March 2, 2001 |
|
Booth plans to ditch trailers
By JOHN
MUNFORD Get ready to say good-bye to those unsightly portable classrooms parked at Booth Middle School. The Fayette County Board of Education plans to proceed with building an expansion of the school that could be open as early as December so it can be moved into over the Christmas holidays, said Mike Satterfield of the FCBOE. Once completed, the 33,308-square-foot building will allow the trailers to be removed for now at least, Satterfield told the Peachtree City Planning Commission Monday evening. The commission unanimously approved the concept plat for the expansion. The new building will be attached to the northwest corner of the school, adjacent to a residential neighborhood. Satterfield said additional screening would be used to help prevent the school from causing problems with its neighbors. Satterfield also agreed to a suggestion from the city to hold a meeting with nearby residents to inform them of what's going to happen and hear their concerns. The meeting will likely be scheduled in the next few weeks, as the city will assist the BOE in contacting people living near the proposed expansion. The expansion plan calls for construction of a 20-foot-wide access road behind the current school building to allow access for emergency vehicles, Satterfield said. The new building would bring the school's capacity to around 1,125-1,150 students, Satterfield said. Currently, there are 1,060 students at the school with 105 staff members. Satterfield guessed the next middle school for the area is likely five years away from becoming a reality. The school system had considered building the expansion where the trailers are now, but it would have cost more money to grade properly and it would have knocked out some rather large pine and oak trees, Satterfield added.
|