Neighbors predict new Parrish school will create traffic nightmare

With more than 9,200 housing units approved for development in north Manatee County, the good news is that a rapidly growing Parrish community is going to get a new, much-needed elementary school. It also will be constructed as a hardened building and used as an emergency evacuation shelter.

The bad news is where the Manatee County School District is proposing to construct the sole entrance and exit point for the new North County Elementary School, expected to open by August 2019. The school's exit and entrance point sits directly across from the gate of the Copperstone neighborhood.

The weekday morning scenario of hundreds of Copperstone residents trying to get to work out of their gate on 115th Avenue East while hundreds of parents try to get their children into the school entrance at the same time is daunting to say the least.

The site plan came before the county on Thursday, and though the county commission has no real authority on where or how schools are built, a three-hour debate over the foreseen traffic "nightmare" ensued.

"I'm shocked this is even coming forward," said Commissioner Vanessa Baugh. "The school looks great, but this road is a problem."

Copperstone and the new school share the 8000 block of 115th Avenue East in Parrish. Copperstone consists of 622 single-family homes and 118 townhouses. Several of those residents expressed opposition to the school's entrance location.

The 22.4-acre site for the school was donated by the Copperstone developer to the school district in 2006 specifically for a new school to accommodate the growing neighborhood. About 500 Copperstone children attend nearby Virgil Mills Elementary School, which has put that school well over capacity.

"This school site is badly needed," said Mike Pendley, school district executive planner. "We are behind on our level of service in this service area and this will help us catch up."

Commissioner Betsy Benac expressed doubt, noting that the new school's capacity is a little over 800. Benac said if the 500 Copperstone elementary students went to the new North County school to alleviate Mills, that leaves only 300 seats for all of the remaining development taking place in the area.

The school district is insisting that the 115th Avenue entrance point is the safest option.

Adding salt to the traffic wound is the new $90 million North River High School under construction at Martha Road and Erie Road, also scheduled to open in August 2019.

Its location? Across from Copperstone's only other exit point, which residents say is used the least.

"This is not fair to the residents," said Commissioner Robin DiSabatino. "This is really going to over burden them."

The additional traffic the schools will generate on and around the heavily used Moccasin Wallow Road is a concern, as well. The county's planning commission stipulated that a traffic signal be installed at Old Farm Road and Moccasin Wallow, but the school district is objecting until they get a guarantee that the costs will be shared by another nearby development, which is stipulated in their land development agreement.

Copperstone residents have known from the beginning that the acreage outside the gate was reserved for a new school. But they never imagined that the new school would have a single entrance point and it would be directly outside their gate.

Pendley acknowledged that the single entrance point is unusual as far as school design goes, but a secondary entrance on Moccasin Wallow Road is unlikely due to the heavy use of that road.

Bob Schmidt, from Land Planning Associates, said the curb cut on 115th showed where the entrance point would be from the very beginning.

"It may be an old mistake, but it is what it is," he said.

The county could have denied the site plan approval but if they did, the school could be constructed anyway and without county input. The plan was approved 4-3 though none of the commissioners were happy with the design, but those voting in favor acknowledged they at least had some input.

Pendley said the district would consider Thursday's comments and potentially look at an additional entrance point to flow traffic in and out better, but he wouldn't commit to it.

"If this becomes a problem, we may have to revisit it," Benac said. "I hope you do the right thing."

This story was originally published May 4, 2018 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Neighbors predict new Parrish school will create traffic nightmare."