Marion County approves property swap with Board of Education; parcels to support fire department expansion and community use

Marion County commissioners approved transferring the school bus parking lot at the Rankin Pike Airport to the Marion County Board of Education in exchange for the Craft School property, which the county described as about 4.7 acres.

County officials said the school board has owned the Craft property while the county has leased the parcel for school-bus parking since February 2016. Scott, a county staff member, told commissioners he has been in contact with the school board to finalize a swap intended to allow the local fire association to expand its fire station and for the county to retain use of the voting building at the Craft site.

Under the plan discussed at the meeting, the county would transfer the bus-parking parcel to the school board and receive the Craft School parcel in return. County officials said they expect to donate the tract containing the fire department to the fire association; the walking track and the voting building would remain under a local board or management arrangement so the county could continue using the voting facility “free of charge,” according to comments reported in the meeting.

The county also noted the Craft property had been leased to a forest association, which needs the land in its name to secure financing for planned improvements; staff said that contributed to pursuing the swap. Commissioners voted after a motion and second; the chair called for the ayes and the recommendation was approved.

The meeting did not include a detailed sale price or formal deed language; officials said those details and any required deeds or leases will be prepared and returned to the commission for final approval as needed.