Thomas MacMillan Photo
After sailing through the City Plan Commission with the help of Newhallville neighbors, a proposal to build a new charter school landed before the Board of Zoning Appeals — and hit an obstacle in the form of Rev. Boise Kimber.
Kimber (pictured), a longtime prominent public figure in Newhallville, showed up with about a dozen of his congregants Tuesday night to speak out against a plan to raze the abandoned Martin Luther King School at 580 Dixwell Ave. and build a new charter high school in its place.
Charter school organization Achievement First has put forward that plan, which requires zoning variances for the proposed height of the building, its signs, and the number of parking spaces.
The Board of Zoning Appeals, which met in the Hall of Records on Orange Street, did not vote on the proposal. Instead it referred it to the City Plan Commission for a recommendation.
The City Plan Commission has already considered another aspect of the proposal. The commission last month voted to recommend approval of the city’s sale of the Martin Luther King School to Achievement First for $1.5 million. The deal is now in front of the Board of Aldermen for final approval. It will be considered next by the aldermanic Community Development Committee.
Achievement First plans to build a three-story, 75,000 square-foot high school for 550 students. The building would be the new home of the organization’s Amistad High School, now on Prince Street.
The project is expected to cost $35 million, with the state paying $24 million of that total. Plans call for the school to be open in 2014.
Last month, when the proposed sale of the property cleared the City Plan Commission, it did so in part because Newhallville Alderwomen Delphine Clyburn and Brenda Foskey-Cyrus gave their thumbs-up. The pair have been working with Achievement First to create an agreement with the neighborhood about how a new Amistad High might benefit neighbors, including through the use of the space as a community meeting area after school hours.
On Tuesday night, Kimber and others stepped in to say they are concerned about traffic and parking problems caused by the new school. Kimber complained that he had not been consulted about the project.
53, 240, 100
Achievement First’s Michael Kerin (pictured) presented the proposal to the Board of Zoning Appeals Tuesday evening. He was joined by landscape architect Earl Goven and architect Michael Berger.
Berger showed renderings of the proposed building. He said the structure needs to go up three stories because it’s a “tight site.” He said the building would be about 53 feet high. That’s eight feet higher than allowed under the area’s zoning regulations.
Berger said the school would be built right up to Dixwell Avenue. He said the facade on the southern wing of the school, where the 55-seat gymnasium would go, would incorporate carvings of names and sayings associated with civil rights and education. That feature would be a nod to the murals depicting civil rights leaders on the existing Martin Luther King School.
The school would have signs in three locations, totaling 240 square feet of signage, or 220 square feet more than is allowed under zoning regulations.
Goven said school buses would queue in a pull-out on Dixwell Avenue and also in a 100-space parking lot behind the school, accessible from Ford Street and Sherman Avenue. Zoning regulations call for 138 parking spaces.
An unlit, “all-purpose” athletic field would go behind the building, Goven said.
BZA member Walter Esdaile asked about a Community Benefits Agreement. Candace Dorman, an “external relations” official with Achievement First, said the organization has held a number of meeting with neighbors. “We’re moving along in good faith,” she said.
“Hold Up”
Kimber rose to say that Achievement First never came to speak with him and his church, which he said is only about 50 feet away from the school.
“I’ve listened to this group without concrete evidence on what they are doing,” he said. “They’re asking to change the whole look of the community.”
He said the school would be too tall. “This building would overshadow the community.”
Kimber said the school would not have sufficient parking. People would be driving “from all over” to come to the school every day, causing traffic jams, he said.
“I’m not against education, but come on. Come sit down and talk with us,” he said. “This here, I’m not ready for it.”
He asked BZA members to delay the plan. “Let’s hold up on this while we really talk about it.”
Several neighbors stood to express concern about the plan.
“I really don’t want any school over there,” said Ford Street homeowner Magdalene Campbell. “I’d like to see something for our kids.”
Kimber asked that no zoning decision be made until the Board of Aldermen approves a land disposition agreement.
“Your comments are noted,” said BZA chair Pat King. She said the matter would be referred to the City Plan Commission before coming back to the BZA for a vote. “I’m not in a position to dictate when City Plan can act.”
As Kimber pressed on, Felipe Pastore, legal counsel to the BZA, interrupted him. “You’ve had your chance,” he said.
“Are you pointing at me?” Kimber said. “Are you the chair?”
Tom Talbot, deputy director of zoning, later said the proposal’s plans for signage are not sufficiently specific. He said Achievement First should either get more specific or withdraw that part of the application.
He also raised concern about parking. He said the charter school organization’s application indicated that students would not be able to drive, but now it’s not so clear “that that’s an actual fact.”
“A Jewel”
Addressing some of the concerns, Goven (pictured) said the school will have ample parking. “We have calculated that 101 spaces will satisfy our need,” he said. “That is not a guess.”
As with other Achievement First schools, the facility will be shared with the neighborhood and available for community use, he said.
“We feel that this is a jewel for the community,” he said. “The school wants to be a part of this community.”
Dorman (pictured) said that Achievement First has had a total of four community meetings about the school, under the guidance of Alderwomen Delphine Clyburn and Brenda Foskey-Cyrus. She said Achievement First looks forward to more discussion.
Clyburn and Foskey-Cyrus, who had been in the back of the room during the hearing, declined to comment on the matter as they left the hall after testimony on the school plan.
“We came to listen tonight,” said Clyburn.