First a little history - nearly 7 years ago when our group was advocating for the addition of a middle school in the NW Sector, we also strongly encouraged our county to consider the growth in our area and plan ahead by including an additional elementary school in this sector of our county into the 5 year capital plan. The new proposed NW Elementary School is underway and planned for Coward Mill Rd. The site selection for the school was vetted after KCS secured a purchase agreement of the parcel. Therefore, major infrastructure improvement costs, including improvements to Coward Mill Rd and extending Cherahala Rd, were bumped up on the county's list of priorities. As you might conclude, the financial burden for these improvements is significant, but necessary, as plans for the school move forward. As a result, the existing residents of Coward Mill Rd (most of which are long time, second and third generation) land owners have concerns. Last week I met with a group of community members to hear those concerns: traffic congestion and safety, easements, density, long term planning and future growth. I have spoken to the applicant and relayed these concerns to which he is taking into consideration. The community would like to see a density of 3 or less, which aligns with other developments nearby who have densities at 3.5, 1-3,1-3, and 1-3.5. The applicant is awaiting a determination from his engineer and I am awaiting the staff recommendation to determine how to bring the applicant and community members together.
