Madison County Board reviews sewer easement and land proposals for McKee Road and Hazel Green sites

District facilities staff updated the board March 7 on two separate property matters tied to ongoing construction: a request from the sewer authority for an easement across the McKee Road/Sparkman Intermediate site and a separate offer covering 4.1 acres near Hazel Green High School that contains a small sewer plant. Staff presented options, legal considerations and draft financial terms and asked the board for direction on next steps.

Why it matters: both matters affect current construction, future site plans (athletic fields, parking and road access) and potential revenue or costs tied to tap fees, easements and property acquisition.

McKee Road / Sparkman Intermediate sewer easement

- The county’s sewer authority (referred to as OSDS in the presentation) has proposed an 8‑inch sewer alignment across Madison County property to reach McKee Road with a lift station and maintenance easement. The district was shown a proposed corridor that aims to avoid wetlands and minimize disturbance to the school site.

- Financial terms discussed in the meeting included a district tap/reservation fee figure cited at $157,000 and a current OSDS reduction offer of $27,000 (described in the presentation as a potential reduction on the fee to facilitate the easement). Staff said the legal description and final easement verbiage would be drafted and returned to the board for final approval; staff recommended they authorize OSDS to proceed with initial engineering and surveying so a formal package could be presented later.

- Board members asked about construction easements and potential temporary access needs; staff said much of the installation would be bored rather than open‑cut, reducing interference with ongoing school construction.

McKee Road adjacent parcels and right‑of‑way requests

- A neighboring landowner/developer offered a counterproposal that would shift the district’s planned right‑of‑way. Facilities staff and the superintendent expressed concerns about re‑routing the road, including re‑engineering costs, wetland impacts and schedule delay. Staff said reengineering could add three to six months and “easily be six figures” to the project, and recommended against moving the finalized right‑of‑way. The board agreed the likely delays and added costs made the developer’s rerouting proposal unattractive and directed staff to follow up with the realtor about the availability of the 33‑acre parcel on the original terms.

Hazel Green High School: 4.1‑acre HEICO parcel and land‑lease proposal

- Staff reviewed a 2010 agreement that left a 4.1‑acre parcel (described in the presentation as tied to HEICO) containing a small sewer plant and noted the district received the parcel in exchange for a then‑assessed reservation/tap fee value of $390,000.

- HEICO representatives proposed a land‑lease‑to‑own arrangement to return the 4.1 acres to district control, with staff quoting an example payment schedule of $78,000 per year over five years (interest‑free in the example) based on the $390,000 figure from 2010. Staff said the plant would need to be addressed (removed or relocated) and that the district’s current design work for Hazel Green is proceeding without the parcel in hand.

- Board members asked whether the sewer plant had market value and whether the district should pursue an upfront purchase discount; staff said the likely value of the plant is low given relocation costs and that the parcel’s utility depends on whether the district wants added space for fields or parking.

Board direction and next steps

- For the McKee Road easement staff were asked to pursue a formal legal description and to work with counsel on deed verbiage that would protect the district (exclusive‑use language, approval for future taps onto the easement and prohibition on unauthorized connections); staff will return the easement package for board approval once drafted.

- On the developer’s right‑of‑way rerouting proposal, the board signaled it would not accept delays or extra costs and directed staff to continue outreach to determine whether acquisition of the 33‑acre parcel remains an option on the prior terms.

- On the Hazel Green 4.1 acres, staff will continue negotiations with the owner; no acquisition vote occurred March 7 and the board did not commit to the five‑year payment example.

Ending

No land purchases or easement deeds were approved at the March 7 meeting. Staff said they will return with formal legal descriptions, proposed deed language and any recommended purchase or lease agreements for board action.