The Columbus Board of Zoning appeals denied a proposed conditional use for Liberty Academy to construct a new school on about 13 acrews on the east side of South County Road 250E.
Residents of Windsor Lane and the surrounding area opposed the conditional use at Tuesday night’s meeting.
Following testimony, the board denied the proposal saying that it did not meet general welfare and safety criteria.
The board ultimately denied the proposal, with board members Grant Hale, Michael Kinder and Hilary Maple voting to deny. Board member Chuck Doup voted to approve the proposal. Board member Zack Ellison was not present for Tuesday’s meeting.
The proposed conditional use requested that a K-12 private school be constructed on the east side of South County Road 250E. Head of Liberty Academy JR Huff told board members Tuesday that they would anticipate 250 students at their school. School days would start at 7:45 a.m. and end at 3:15 p.m. and buses would not be utilized.
The school’s current enrollment is at a little over 90 students, Huff said. Drop off periods in the morning last 30 minutes and afternoon pick up periods are conducted in two waves lasting a combined total of 15 minutes.
Huff said the growth of the current school at 1511 22nd St. has been limited and it is difficult to find a property suitable for a school. He said he knew traffic would be a concern, but assured the board that pick up times would be short and he did not anticipate pick up traffic going onto the road.
“We’ll have plenty enough parking space to be able to maneuver everybody on property for pick up and drop off so literally just accessing the property on and off would be the only traffic to the road, never a situation like some of the other schools in town where you’ve got traffic lined up on the road creating kind of an unsafe situation,” Huff said to the board.
Residents during public comment raised concerns that County Road 250 East is too narrow of a road and would not be suitable to accommodate the high traffic volume a school would create. The road also has four hills that create poor visibility.
Nearby property owner Larry Nolting said the school would be surrounded by active and working farms with operating machinery and sprays.
“It’s just not the right place for a school,” Nolting told the board.
Resident Jenifer Slabaugh provided a petition with over 30 signatures from nearby property owners and those who use the road frequently who all opposed the proposal due to the road’s danger. She noted that some who signed the petition supported Liberty Academy and its mission, but did not agree with the proposed site and signed no.
“We, lots of people here who are not going to speak but are here in opposition, have all suffered close calls on these roads and we feel like we’re protected from those close calls becoming real accidents by the low density population afforded by adhering to AG zoning standards and we’re asking you to please keep us safe by denying this request,” Slabaugh said.
Following public comment, Huff said drop off and pick up times would only take up a short window of time. He said as their current site sits at a busy intersection, they have put together a plan that safely and efficiently moves students in and out, and they are willing to make any accommodations to ensure students’ safety.
