Chapin Residents Petition Against Proposed School
CHAPIN, S.C. (WOLO)- Residents of one Lexington County town are voicing concerns about the possibility of a school being built on what a road they say is busy and heavily traveled road.
Over 350 citizens of Chapin have signed a petition against developing an elementary school on Amicks Ferry Road. One neighbor who lives off Amicks Ferry supports the petition, saying the proposed school site is in a dangerous location.
“If they’re planning on students from that area going, most of them will be coming from the end of Amicks Ferry heading towards Chapin and having to make a left-hand turn across traffic so that is a concern that it’s going to cause a lot more traffic issues.”
In a statement, Lexington-Richland School District Five Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hefner says he recommended the additional school be built on the “Amicks Ferry side of Chapin.” Hefner said the district has “entered into an option agreement for a piece of property located on Amicks Ferry Road.”
The school district says they are doing due diligence on the area: assessing the land and making sure an elementary school would be suitable to go there.
A letter from one Amicks Ferry resident who says she is neither for or against the proposed development calls for more research saying, “In order to –wisely – build a school on Amicks Ferry Road, data needs to be available to those making such an impactful and expensive decision. This is standard due diligence.”
An agenda from a school board meeting on Monday, March 27th reveals a suggested contractural discussion will take place during an executive session. Residents hope to voice their concerns to board members at this meeting.
