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Developer kills plan for new school

School officials say the developer's requirements for the elementary school would have been too expensive.

By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK
Published August 16, 2005

KEYSTONE - The Hillsborough school district's plan for a much-needed school in the county's congested northwest area appears to be dead, the victim of a disagreement with a developer.

Developer Bill Bishop had planned to donate land for the elementary school, which would serve children in his Highland Park subdivision. But Bishop wanted a small school - no more than 650 students - made of brick and other materials he considered in keeping with his high-end development.

School officials said his vision is about $2-million too expensive.

"The School Board won't agree to the quality of the architecture without having the necessary funding in place," Bishop said in a written message posted on his Highland Park subdivision's web site. "Without the affirmative support of the School Board, the zoning application has been withdrawn and the project abandoned."

Neither Bishop nor his representatives could be reached Monday for further comment.

School officials knew the negotiations for the site, on Race Track Road south of S Mobley Road, were tenuous. But Bishop's decision to pull the plug surprised them.

Facilities chief Cathy Valdes said she had expected to continue looking at designs and eventually return to the zoning process, which called for Bishop's firm, Leslie Land, to transfer 1.3 acres of property for the school.

"We're still amenable to working on it with them," she said.

The upshot is that schools in northwest Hillsborough, already bursting at the seams, won't see relief any time soon.

Bryant Elementary, about 2 miles south of the site, was at 145 percent of capacity shortly after classes began. Nearby Westchase Elementary was at 120 percent of capacity.

Both have more than 1,000 students, as do two other area schools - Crestwood and McKitrick elementaries. Only one other elementary school in Hillsborough has more than 1,000 students.

The School Board had hoped to lessen the load at those campuses by opening the Highland Park school during the 2006-07 academic year. A second site in Keystone remains the subject of an ongoing lawsuit.

Superintendent MaryEllen Elia said she was disappointed to learn that Leslie Land appears to be walking away from the Highland Park site. It was Bishop's idea to integrate the campus into the community, despite concerns from neighbors who worried the school would cause traffic and noise problems.

"It's unfortunate," Elia said. "Everything in the northwest and west section is important to us."

Board member Susan Valdes, who represents the area, is hoping for a quick solution.

"We definitely need a site out there," she said. "These schools cannot continue to take the growth."

--Jeffrey S. Solochek can be reached at 813 269-5304 or solochek@sptimes.com

[Last modified August 16, 2005, 05:21:45]