Berean Academy, which plans to move to the Lake Stemper area, has agreed to forgo soccer field lights and will pay for landscaping.
By BILL COATS, Times Staff Writer
Published July 15, 2005
LUTZ - Neighbors along Lake Stemper have made peace with the prospect of a large Christian academy being built next door.
A breakthrough in the neighborhood's opposition to Berean Academy's plans came last week after the school swore off lights for its soccer field and agreed to pay for $30,000 in additional landscaping between the future school facilities and the neighbors' homes.
The neighbors will get to plan the extra landscaping.
"We think it's a good investment on our part, just to be good neighbors," said Joe Bray, the Berean headmaster.
The concessions prompted neighbor Roger Rigau to drop his appeal of a March 31 decision authorizing the school between Stemper and U.S. 41, north of Lakeside Drive.
Currently housed at Forest Hills' University Church of God, Berean plans to build a classic, red-brick academy that could eventually house 780 students on the Lutz property.
Rigau, who had loudly complained that the project will pollute Stemper, also won a pledge that the school will be connected to public water and sewer lines whenever they are extended to that section of U.S. 41. Until then, Berean will rely on a well and septic tank.
By dismissing his appeal, Rigau cleared Berean to apply for building permits.
Bray said contractors hope to break ground this fall and finish construction in a year. The school would move immediately.
"It would be a terrible shame to let it sit empty for a whole semester," Bray said.
