The Scarborough Town Council will resume discussions on the strategic school solution and potential land purchase at a public hearing on Sept. 6. The agenda includes a public hearing and second reading on a ballot question for a $160M K-8 strategic school solution to address the inadequacies in three K-2 primary schools and the middle school. If approved in a majority vote by the council, the question would appear on the ballot in the Nov. 7 municipal election.
Many councilors have said that a location for the school must be in place before moving the ballot question to the voters this fall. “It is important that voters not only know the cost of the school solution, but also where the solution will be located,” Council Chair Jon Anderson said. “The location is an important factor that many voters will want to understand to determine their vote.”
The inclusion of a location on the ballot remains contingent on an Option Agreement which failed to advance when the Aug. 9 deadline lapsed, according to a town statement. The Option Agreement was between the town manager and Crossroads Holdings for the $7.21M purchase of a 21.87-acre parcel within the Scarborough Downs development to construct a new K-3 Unified Primary School. While the purchase price was agreed upon, Crossroads Holdings requested additional terms and conditions that exceeded the town manager’s authority and an agreement could not be met by the deadline.
Despite delays with an Option Agreement with Crossroads Holdings LLC, there is still time for a land solution to be in place prior to the second reading, according to the statement. One of those solutions would be to reauthorize the town manager to sign a revised Option Agreement that was provided by Crossroads Holdings LLC to the town during an executive session on Aug. 16. The revised document is more consistent with the Option Agreement previously approved by the town council.
“I’m pleased that Crossroads revisited their former concerns to come back to the Town with an agreement that at first glance appears to be very consistent with the agreement the Council approved on August 2nd,” said Anderson. “The Council still needs time to review and digest the revised agreement before we take action on it, as well as digest the other options we discussed to determine the best path forward.”
If it moves forward, the Option Agreement agrees for the town to pay $7.21M to the Downs for 21.87 acres, the statement notes. It also includes rezoning of contiguous acres currently owned by Crossroads Holdings to be consistent with the CPD zone where the majority of their development is occurring. The closing on the Option Agreement would be contingent on the successful passing of the ballot question of the K-8 Strategic School Solution. Alternatively, a delay in holding a referendum this fall would likely lead to an additional $5-11M in cost increases to the school project.
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