The expected presentation from the Simpson County School Board to the Simpson County Development District for use of the Pioneer Building did not happen at Tuesday’s meeting of the Development District.
It was initially thought that the school district would request that the Development District approve them for use of the property as a consolidated high school.
The District has the authority to oversee negotiations on the property.
The plan for a new consolidated facility, which has not been shared publically by the school board, has taken a lot of opposition on social media, including messages requesting people to turn out for Tuesday’s meeting, perhaps to confront or at least question county School Board members. That did not happen either, in that only members of the Development District attended the Tuesday morning meeting held at the PriorityOne Training Center.
It was reported that new County School Superintendent Dr. Toriano Holloway was to attend but when he was told it would be a public meeting he chose not to participate.
Those who were interested in the property have run into restrictive convenants that prevent its being used for anything other than what it was designed for--light manufacturing, call centers or home office facilities.
Board attorney Danny Welch was asked his opinion on the attorney general’s findings. He stated that he believes that the property that has not been sold that belongs to the district can not be sold because it is under those covenants that prevent its sale for any purpose other than those stated in the covenants. He added that the District could change the covenants in the event that the property was deemed no longer marketable for its intended use as a business park.
Changing a covenant is, however, a drawn out process. It was done with the property that is now home to Tractor Supply and other businesses in Magee that built in a former industrial park, but that was done after the convenants on that property expired.
In addition to the county owning the Pioneer property, the City of Magee helped erect infrastructure in the approximate amount of $600,000. That included the building of the road, water and sewer to the facility.
At the meeting, the District approved moving ahead with the disposal of the industrial park property in Mendenhall that has been in the county inventory since 2001. It has been deemed no longer viable as a industrial option. The district approved getting an appraisal so they can start the process of moving the property.
