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Officials say cypress trees were salvaged and milled for reuse; drainage issues not addressed by project
Summary
Staff told the committee that 12 cypress trees removed for construction were sent to a mill for kiln drying and possible reuse as furniture or other items rather than going to landfill; committee members asked whether site work would mitigate nearby drainage/ditch flooding, and staff said the project does not include DOT/roadway mitigation beyond on-site retention ponds.
A committee member asked what happened to the cypress trees that were removed for the project. Chris Shepherd said the trees were salvaged and sent to a mill to be kiln dried and milled for possible reuse (for example, a conference table), and "those cypress trees did not go to the landfill." He said the yield from each tree varied and that the team will determine how much usable lumber is available.
Committee members also raised concerns about a nearby ditch and whether the school work would mitigate flooding downstream. Shepherd and staff said the project's work is limited to the school site (retention ponds and added storm structures on campus) and does not include DOT work or off-site ditch remediation; they noted the project added or expanded retention ponds but would not directly solve roadway drainage issues beyond the campus boundary.
