Site for school secured – hopes are that funding follows

A subdivision of about 400 houses north of Todd Crescent contains an eight-acre site set aside for a new growth school for Dundalk.

The agreement before council last week showed the involvement of the Board in a number of the conditions in the subdivision agreement with Flato Developments.

The developer has co-operated with the township on advocating for a new school, and kept a potential site available in each of the MZO areas when submitted to the province.

In the agreement, the board is protecting itself legally by keeping the site option for seven years.

But it also sets out that the school site is to be serviced in the first phase of the subdivision.

An additional school in Dundalk has been Bluewater board’s highest capital priority through more than one round of applications, and many are hoping that the announcement of funding will come soon.

The representatives of Flato, the developer of the subdivision, said that realistically it will take some time to do site works and install servicing in Glenelg Phase III.

The owner is to enter into a separate option agreement with the Bluewater board, outlining how the value of the site and the timing of the purchase will be determined.

The board asks for confirmation that there is natural gas capacity for the school site, and will give numbers of water and wastewater units needed.

There will be a six-foot chain link fence around the site.

While those buying lots will be told that the building of the school is not guaranteed, they also will be warned that there could be usual construction dust and noise, and that the school would have exterior lights.

A traffic study would be required, with a pedestrian plan and traffic calming, with sidewalks on the Bradley Street extension, as well as streets interior to the subdivision.

M.T. Fernandes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Dundalk Herald