Gary Rogers made the presentation during a meeting of the Cleveland Board of Educations site selection committee.
The proposed plot of land faces North Lee Highway and is situated close to Fish Creek Market and Old Tasso Road.
The site would provide two possible access points to the property.
According to Rogers’ presentation, the family would encourage the school board to construct an “L” shaped road from Old Tasso Road to the school site.
“Another thing they [the Stuart family] have talked about, and we realize and have a healthy respect for road cost, but, would you consider doing the road that would also tie in from Old Tasso?” Rogers asked the site committee.
Committee members Murl Dirksen and Steve Morgan hesitated at the construction of an additional stretch of road.
Dirksen expressed concern, and stated he did not want a repeat of some of the road-building troubles that plagued the Mayfield building project on 20th Street.
Some in attendance also voiced hesitation about spending money on developing a road that would be used to further develop other property in the area.
Tom Cloud, committee member, said a new school would raise property prices surrounding the building site exponentially, and wondered if that could have an impact on negotiating the family’s initial asking price of $950,000.
Dr. Rick Denning, director of Cleveland City Schools, urged the committee and school board to begin moving forward, but suggested the process be started with an architect before any other procedures are made.
“If we started today, we are at least two years away, and more than likely we are at three away now. ... Our concern is waking up one fall, first day of school, and we have more kids than we have room for,” Denning said.
Dawn Robinson, Cleveland School Board member, stated the board needed to have all of its information together and be well prepared when it makes its presentation to the City Council to ensure that their proposal is without areas for the Council to reject it.
Rogers left the meeting to discuss what had occurred with the family, and was asked to return for next month’s City School Board meeting with additional information and the family’s responses to the questions raised at the committee meeting.
In addition to the Hardwick Farms site there is another piece of property in the running as a potential building site. As of now that second site has yet to be announced.
Members of the committee also decided on what surface to place in the new Cleveland City High School’s Science Wing courtyard.
A lengthy discussion was held on the pros and cons of various surfaces, spanning materials both natural and artificial.
According to documents handed to the committee, to cover the courtyard in sod grass would cost approximately $4,000. However, the grass would require frequent maintenance and would be less durable to the strains of serving a high school student body.
Artificial turf would cost over 10 times more, but it would require much less work and would be able to handle most strains placed on it.
Many other options and combinations of methods were discussed by those in attendance with the committee choosing to initially sod the entire courtyard, and move to an artificial turf if the living grass does not work.
Many options were dismissed to drainage issues. Landscaping materials such as mulch, gravel or any plant that creates waste has the potential to clog the courtyards drainage system and create flooding.
