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Blueprint seeks district land for $5 million road project; board raises concerns over donating $300,000 in appraised value
Summary
Board members were briefed on a Blueprint road extension intended to ease traffic at Roberts and Mumford schools; Blueprint has requested district land or the district’s appraised value for part of the $5 million project, including a 15‑acre parcel under conservation easement.
School board member Smith warned colleagues that Blueprint — the local sales‑tax funded infrastructure program — will present a proposal that includes seeking some Leon County Schools land to build a road extension intended to route traffic around Roberts and Mumford schools.
Smith said the project would “alleviate some of the traffic coming into Robertson Mumford” and allow buses to use a different route. The project has an estimated cost of about $5 million, she said.
Board members described a complex land arrangement: the district owns roughly 104 acres in the area, about 51 acres of which were placed under a conservation easement in 1999. Smith said Blueprint asked the district to consider donating or otherwise contributing the district’s share of proceeds (she referenced an appraisal “to the tune of ... $300,000”) to help Blueprint negotiate with a co‑owner of the conservation easement, the Apalachee Land Conservancy.
Board members objected to the notion of donating district property value without receiving payment. “I think they’re just throwing out, ‘Hey, would you consider?’” Smith said, adding that giving away property “doesn’t sit well with me.” She noted that if Blueprint pursued eminent domain, statute requires payment of fair market value and legal fees if the district were to litigate the take.
Opal McKinney Williams (district staff) explained that the largest portion Blueprint wants is the 15‑acre easement parcel that includes stormwater infrastructure; to use that property the easement must be removed, and the other party to the easement must agree. If they do not agree, Blueprint has indicated it would be prepared to pursue an eminent domain action. Williams told the board that, by statute, the board typically has about 30 days to respond after a presentation.
Board members asked Blueprint to present on Feb. 11 and discussed adding a formal district liaison or seat on Blueprint’s advisory committee to improve coordination. Members also discussed alternatives Blueprint could offer, such as a land swap or other mitigation, rather than a straight donation of money or parcel.
No formal district decision was made at the meeting; the board asked staff to place the Blueprint presentation on an upcoming agenda and to consider options for negotiating or preserving the district’s appraised value.
