Ordean plan changed to quell neighbors’ ire
Published January 13 2009
The latest plan for Duluth’s new eastern high school takes eminent domain off the table, eliminates a controversial access road and scales back plans for a stadium.
By: Sarah Horner , Duluth News Tribune
The latest plan for Duluth’s new eastern high school takes eminent domain off the table, eliminates a controversial access road and scales back plans for a stadium.
The changes are in response to opposition voiced by Ordean Middle School neighbors after the last schematic design for converting it to a high school was released a couple of weeks ago.
“This process has always been about trying to listen to the community and meet most of their needs and yet meet ours at the same time,” Duluth Superintendent Keith Dixon said. “What you see here is our latest plan on how to attempt to do that.”
The new design strips one athletic field and some parking off the site plan, which eliminates the need to acquire property through eminent domain. Owners of several properties originally eyed for acquisition by the district had expressed concern about giving up their homes for the plan. If approved, this latest design could be accomplished without those plots, though two new parcels — both of which are owned by parties willing to work with the district — would be used.
The plan also reduces the number of access roads into the campus from three to two. An access road had been planned out to 36th Avenue East adjacent to the North Shore Scenic Railroad — along with access roads to Superior Street and 40th Avenue East — but traffic and safety concerns expressed by neighbors led architects to keep the 36th Avenue East access road out of the latest design.
Talk about building a stadium similar to Public Schools Stadium located on the Denfeld site also has been scaled back. The most recent concept calls for an artificial-turf, multi-purpose field complete with an eight-lane track around a football/soccer field that would use the school’s existing bleachers to house about 1,500 fans, according to Kerry Leider, facilities director for the Duluth school district. Public Schools Stadium holds about 3,000 people.
The other major distinction between the latest schematic design and earlier versions is the amount of parking incorporated on the site. One version included as many as 600 parking spots, while the new version provides about 350, a number much closer to what will be provided at Denfeld High School.
Parking, eminent domain, a stadium and the 36th Avenue East access road all were named as key concerns by a group of Ordean neighbors that organized in opposition to earlier plans for the site.
“They have addressed several of our concerns in this plan, not all of them but several,” said Tom Kasper, a member of the Ordean group. “It’s encouraging that we’re finally talking through some of this stuff.”
Community members are still concerned about the overall impact the high school will have on traffic in and around the Ordean neighborhood. Some adamantly feel the site is simply too small, regardless of compromises the district might make on some site features.
“My position remains that this is the wrong place for a high school. It’s better designed but I still think it’s too small,” said Brian Ronstrom, another member of the Ordean neighbor group.
Group members will discuss their position on the latest schematic design when they meet Wednesday night.
This latest design is far from set in stone. District officials will need to convince the Minnesota Department of Education — which earlier told Duluth it needed to buy up more property around Ordean — that it can adequately serve students by using space and facilities located around town, such as the Heritage Hockey Center, as opposed to housing all of the amenities of a modern high school on site. The district is also waiting for results of a traffic analysis.
Final schematic designs for the Ordean site are expected to be finalized sometime this spring.
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/109446/
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Neighbors blast School Board vote on eminent domain
Published December 17 2008
Despite strong opposition from community members at a Duluth School Board meeting Tuesday night, board members approved using eminent domain if necessary to accomplish the district’s long-range buildings plan.
By: Sarah Horner , Duluth News Tribune
Despite strong opposition from about 40 community members at a Duluth School Board meeting Tuesday night, members of the board approved using eminent domain if necessary to accomplish the district’s long-range facilities plan.Residents from the Ordean neighborhood pleaded with the board, sometimes with tears in their eyes, not to take private homes. After listening to public comment for more than an hour, board members voted 6-1 to pass the resolution. The measure allows the board to formally enter into negotiations with local real estate firm F.I. Salter to begin exploring the process of eminent domain. Board member Gary Glass was the lone vote against.Tina Legarde was among those speaking against the move.
“If the board approves a resolution to use eminent domain now or in the future … you will resemble a bully on a playground who takes by force that which he wants,” she said.
The resolution does not mean the district actually will end up exercising eminent domain, said Bill Hanson, business director for the Duluth school district.
“This gives us the ability to use eminent domain as part of the process … if it becomes necessary,” Hanson said. “That would not be the district’s preference.”
A handful of properties in the Ordean neighborhood need to be acquired to accommodate the expansion of the new eastern middle school. So far, 30 owners have signed purchase agreements with the district but nine remain.
Many at the meeting addressed schematic designs being considered for the new eastern high school, saying they were not right for a site of that size. At times community members shouted at board members.
“I love Duluth and I love my neighborhood and this plan will destroy our neighborhood,” Robert Arch said through tears.
His wife had stronger words.
“If we were in Iraq, you would probably have a lot of shoes thrown at you right now,” Christina Arch said.
Superintendent Keith Dixon said the district would not know where or if it would be exercising eminent domain until schematic designs were approved for the different school sites, which is expected to happen sometime in the spring.
An amendment added to the resolution ensured that only properties that already have been presented to the board would be considered for eminent domain at this time.