Post by wvhsparent on Mar 1, 2008 20:29:11 GMT -5
to Anonymous February 27, 2008 4:40 PM:
Here's my thoughts to some of your questions for what it's worth.
>Why is the alternate site 6-8 miles from center of population growth?
Answer: The board seeks 80 acres to build the high school. Not too many parcels left in the district meeting that criteria. I also think there is a slight misconception about the population growth. Students in this district are highly concentrated in and around the immediate vicinity of WV as well as NV. BTW the word on the street is the 2/3 of the population is south of 75th street. Although 75th St ends at Ogden Avenue, if you look at a street map and continue to draw a line straigh west from the point where 75th Street ends at Ogden, guess what? WVHS is South of 75th Street. See for yourself. www.ipsd.org/Documents/0708/IPSDBoundaryMapPacket.pdf
>Shouldn't we expect bus travel times to drop by at least 1/3?
Answer: If you watch the video of the 2/19/08 meeting, this was addressed. Laidlaw recently did those runs during the appropriate times of day so if you believe that, the times should bear some accuracy. Admin also indicated that the length of time depends on number of stops on the route. I've lived here for several years and believe if a route is not working or keeping under the maximum time requirements, adjustments will be made in a route. These issues are quickly addressed during the first 2-3 weeks of school.
>Why did we choose a site that was rejected by the SB two years ago due to "the certainty of environmental dangers?"
Answer: I personally have never given much weight to that document. Who wrote it and why? Did you ever see anything substantial supporting its data? I didn't. No data, no believe everything. MM authored the document. I took it for what it was worth at face value (nothing) and chalked it off a support paper for one and only one prime objective, BB. It's politics, folks. That simple. Not the first example either.
>Does the fact that a new school in your backyard increase your property value?
ANSWER: A call to your tax assessor's office should get that answer. Haven't done that yet. What I always understood was that the quality of the school district as a whole influences your property value and salability and possibly even the distance you are to a school, NOT WHICH SCHOOL in a district you were closest to. I also understand that close proximity to amenities increase your property value--train stations, etc. That needs to be confirmed by assessor.
>Why were negotiations cut off for BB land despite penalties that could be imposed of $10-20 million?
ANSWER: It never sounded to me that there ever really was any true negotiations or even close to a meeting of the minds, which is why the condemnation case number 2 was filed. Case number 1 was filed for the BB 25 acres in 2001.
And it's not such a slam dunk for BB to obtain fees and penalties. These issues will have to be adjudicated (proof has to be delivered to the court to substantiate attorneys fees and costs as well as any claims of damage to the remainder). I hope our legal team can do a better job with this aspect of the case than what we've seen in their legal performance to date.
>Why did the district rule out Macom so quickly?
Answer: They said that Macom was not clear and free of issues and there were other parties involved to negotiate with as well. No guarantee these issues would be resolved or other parties would be interested in negotiations. This introduced an additional time factor for the SB which would further delay the opening of a high school beyond 2009. The SB seems to at least want to amek one representation come true--an opening of some kind for MV by 2009.
>How many appraisals were obtained for EOLA land?
Answer: Unknown
>Does the need to open the new high school by 2009 trump using reasonable due diligence?
Answer: IMHO, absolutely not. I'm sure there are some that believe it is imperative to get it opened by then but based on the current enrollment numbers being used, you simply leave WV freshman campus open so there doesn't seem to be an impending need for additional middle school space and call it a day.
Hope this meets your criteria for an intelligent response.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 28, 2008 12:00 AM
Here's my thoughts to some of your questions for what it's worth.
>Why is the alternate site 6-8 miles from center of population growth?
Answer: The board seeks 80 acres to build the high school. Not too many parcels left in the district meeting that criteria. I also think there is a slight misconception about the population growth. Students in this district are highly concentrated in and around the immediate vicinity of WV as well as NV. BTW the word on the street is the 2/3 of the population is south of 75th street. Although 75th St ends at Ogden Avenue, if you look at a street map and continue to draw a line straigh west from the point where 75th Street ends at Ogden, guess what? WVHS is South of 75th Street. See for yourself. www.ipsd.org/Documents/0708/IPSDBoundaryMapPacket.pdf
>Shouldn't we expect bus travel times to drop by at least 1/3?
Answer: If you watch the video of the 2/19/08 meeting, this was addressed. Laidlaw recently did those runs during the appropriate times of day so if you believe that, the times should bear some accuracy. Admin also indicated that the length of time depends on number of stops on the route. I've lived here for several years and believe if a route is not working or keeping under the maximum time requirements, adjustments will be made in a route. These issues are quickly addressed during the first 2-3 weeks of school.
>Why did we choose a site that was rejected by the SB two years ago due to "the certainty of environmental dangers?"
Answer: I personally have never given much weight to that document. Who wrote it and why? Did you ever see anything substantial supporting its data? I didn't. No data, no believe everything. MM authored the document. I took it for what it was worth at face value (nothing) and chalked it off a support paper for one and only one prime objective, BB. It's politics, folks. That simple. Not the first example either.
>Does the fact that a new school in your backyard increase your property value?
ANSWER: A call to your tax assessor's office should get that answer. Haven't done that yet. What I always understood was that the quality of the school district as a whole influences your property value and salability and possibly even the distance you are to a school, NOT WHICH SCHOOL in a district you were closest to. I also understand that close proximity to amenities increase your property value--train stations, etc. That needs to be confirmed by assessor.
>Why were negotiations cut off for BB land despite penalties that could be imposed of $10-20 million?
ANSWER: It never sounded to me that there ever really was any true negotiations or even close to a meeting of the minds, which is why the condemnation case number 2 was filed. Case number 1 was filed for the BB 25 acres in 2001.
And it's not such a slam dunk for BB to obtain fees and penalties. These issues will have to be adjudicated (proof has to be delivered to the court to substantiate attorneys fees and costs as well as any claims of damage to the remainder). I hope our legal team can do a better job with this aspect of the case than what we've seen in their legal performance to date.
>Why did the district rule out Macom so quickly?
Answer: They said that Macom was not clear and free of issues and there were other parties involved to negotiate with as well. No guarantee these issues would be resolved or other parties would be interested in negotiations. This introduced an additional time factor for the SB which would further delay the opening of a high school beyond 2009. The SB seems to at least want to amek one representation come true--an opening of some kind for MV by 2009.
>How many appraisals were obtained for EOLA land?
Answer: Unknown
>Does the need to open the new high school by 2009 trump using reasonable due diligence?
Answer: IMHO, absolutely not. I'm sure there are some that believe it is imperative to get it opened by then but based on the current enrollment numbers being used, you simply leave WV freshman campus open so there doesn't seem to be an impending need for additional middle school space and call it a day.
Hope this meets your criteria for an intelligent response.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 28, 2008 12:00 AM