JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- Greater Clark County Schools got the first green light to move forward on a plan that would build a new middle school in Jeffersonville.
On Tuesday, the Jeffersonville Planning Commission approved to rezone the former Twi-Lite Golf Course, along Highway 62, to allow for a new school to be built.Â
The proposed plan includes 46 acres of land near Highway 62.
GCCS is in a purchase agreement to acquire 20 acres of the former Twi-Lite Golf Course, and build the new middle school on that site. It would include a new school building, parking lots, and football field and track.
New GCCS Middle School Site Rendering (Courtesy: Sabak, Wilson & Lingo, Inc.)
This land required to be rezoned from commercial use to institutional use.Â
Adjacent to the 20-acre site, is another 26 acres of land, on the corner of Utica-Sellersburg Road and New Chapel Road that GCCS already owns. Roughly six acres of this land would be for school use, and include tennis courts and a retention pond. The remaining 20 acres would be developed into a single-family residential neighborhood.Â
The six acres of land is required to be rezoned from residential use to institutional use.Â
"The City expressed a desire to have some residential there, obviously we expressed a desire to have a middle school there, so we thought let's try to get all 46 acres and come up with a conceptual drawing or plan or design that addresses both," said GCCS Superintendent Mark Laughner. "It addresses what the City wants, what the neighbors want, but also addresses what the school district needs and the community and City of Jeffersonville."
As for the land that will be turned into a neighborhood, Laughner said GCCS will plat out the site, put in the infrastructure, such as roads, electric, and utilities, and then sell the lots as a group to a developer through a Request for Proposal (RFP.)Â
Picture shows the land that required approval to be rezoned for a new GCCS middle school. (Courtesy: Sabak, Wilson & Lingo, Inc.)
The new proposal comes after GCCS' failed attempt in 2022 to rezone the same 26 acres of land. Originally, GCCS proposed to build the school on that parcel of land along Utica-Sellersburg Road and New Chapel Road. It would also close and replace Parkview Middle School. The City of Jeffersonville rejected the school's request to re-zone the property after neighbors expressed concerns over traffic and moving a middle school away from downtown.
On Tuesday, Laughner assured Parkview Middle School would not close, but the district also needs to build a new school.
"We see what's going on at River Ridge, there's a lot of new homes which is going to bring in enrollment to Greater Clark and we're going to need all the classroom space we can get," Laughner said.
The proposal to rezone the land will also require approval from Jeffersonville City Council. The council will meet Dec. 4 at City Hall.
Related Stories:
- GCCS announces plans to renovate Parkview Middle School, build K-8 building
- Greater Clark County Schools proposes new plans to rebuild middle schoolÂ
- GCCS continues effort to build new middle school in southern Indiana
- Jeffersonville City Council votes against GCCS request to rezone 26 acres for new middle school
- GCCS proposes plan to relocate and rebuild Parkview Middle School
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