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Developer to fund road improvements, offer 30-acre donation near Smyrna High; board raises safety concerns
Summary
A developer planning a shopping center anchored by Kroger near Smyrna High School offered to pay for campus road and access work and to honor an option the district already held to acquire 30 acres; board members raised traffic and safety concerns.
A developer planning a shopping center adjacent to Smyrna High School proposed to pay for road and ingress/egress improvements across the school campus and to convey 30 acres to the district, subject to an agreement the board previously exercised.
Board counsel Mister Reed said the developer offered to fund engineering and construction for access improvements at Bulldog Drive and across campus at no cost to the school system. The developer also agreed to honor a longstanding option the board held to purchase a contiguous 30-acre tract for $100; the developer asked the district to treat the eventual transfer as a donation for the developer’s tax purposes and to allow a one-year delay in conveying title after the transaction closes.
Mister Reed told the board he had negotiated revisions to the developer’s proposed temporary construction easement and that the easement and donation terms were in order from the board’s legal perspective. The developer and a traffic engineer were present to answer questions about the design; transportation staff and the developer’s engineer described plans to route buses and cars so bus circulation would be separate from parent drop-off.
Several board members and attendees voiced safety and traffic concerns. Board member Miss Sharp said parents and teachers at Smyrna High had objected to the development, citing increased campus traffic and safety risks. Staff noted the access plan includes multiple entrances intended to separate buses and autos and that the proposed improvements were designed in coordination with the town and the district.
Ending: Attorney Reed recommended the board approve the temporary construction easement and acknowledged that the developer’s donation offer and one-year timing request do not create an immediate operational need for the property. The board asked staff to confirm signage, bus access, and traffic sequencing as part of final project reviews.
