While the board backed the planning director and its decision will allow the construction of the 60-by-120-feet shelter to be built, it appears, judging from comments made during the public hearing and those made after, there is room for negotiations on the matter between the school system and residents in the Vance and Cedar street area where the school is located.
“The neighbors will have to work together to come up with a compromise to satisfy everyone,” Henry Robertson said following the meeting.
Lasky discusses the background of the project.
Robertson was one of several residents in the community who signed an appeal to the issuance of the permit for the bus shelter, which resulted in a stop work order being issued for the project.
He said during the public hearing while the residents welcomed the reuse of the once dormant school building, the fencing, which includes barbed wire, and the open-sided activity bus shelter, doesn't fit within the community. “We live in very well maintained homes,” he said, explaining later he believed the project would diminish property values within the neighborhood. “There's no way to hide it with landscaping.”
Interim school Superintendent John Parker explained at the beginning of the hearing Medlin became unused when Belmont was built and it wasn't until 2014-15 the school system discussed using it for its maintenance services department as well as its IT department.
Parker discusses the project.
He also said since becoming empty around 1997, the building has been vandalized, windows broken out and fire extinguishers sprayed on the floor.
Parker said the school system is working to make the landscaping more aesthetically pleasing.
Mae Cox, who has lived in the neighborhood for nearly 60 years, said, “We are happy the building is in use. We're not happy with the outside.”
Robert Caudle III told the board, “The aesthetics of the neighborhood will drastically change. Instead of being a quaint little brick building in the midst of a charming middle-class neighborhood, there will be the eyesore of a quaint little brick building that is overshadowed by massive carport structures. This quaint little brick building overshadowed by large carport structures will have black fencing around the perimeter with barbed wire on top. The front window of the living room of my house as well as other neighbors overlooks the fence and several of the large carport structures. Now, we look forward to explaining this project to guests who come to our houses.”
Carlilse, right, and Robbie Clements, the school system's operations director, are sworn in before the hearing.
It was Roanoke Rapids Graded School District Board of Education Chair Jay Carlilse who said during the public hearing the school board needs more time to discuss the matter and come to an agreeable compromise. “We're going to do what we can to work on the problem.”
Following the meeting Carlilse said, “Our board has to have some conversation. As a board we have to discuss what we need to do to be good citizens and neighbors”
The decision to back Lasky came on a motion by Charles Landen and a second by Henry Ford.
