Shawnee residents concerned over proposed private school project
Shawnee residents concerned over proposed private school project
Residents in a few Shawnee neighborhoods are concerned about a possible new private school next door.
A 130,000 square-foot facility that will be a K-12 Maranatha Christian Academy is proposed to go on a 26-acre plot of land at the northeast corner of Silverheel and 71st Street.
RESIDENTS IN A FEWSHAWNEENEIGHBORHOODS ARECONCERNED ABOUT THEPOSSIBILITY OF A NEWPRIVATE SCHOOL.THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUTNOISE -- TRAFFIC -- ANDWHAT MAY HAPPEN TOTHEIR PROPERTY VALUES.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER EMMA JAMESTELLS US WHAT THESCHOOL HAS TO SAYABOUT THEIR CONCERNS.EMMA JAMES, REPORTING"This 27 acres of land atSilver Heel and 71st street isthe proposed area forMaranatha ChristianAcademy.
Some nearbyneighbors tell me they don'tfeel the city or the schoolnotified them as early as theyshould have or gave themenough time to give theiinput."WILLOW RIDGE HOA VICEPRESIDENT DARIUS RILEYFEELS MARANATHA ONLYREACHED OUT TORESIDENTS TO SET UP HOAMEETINGS AFTER HEARINGTHEY BROUGHT UPCONCERNS WITH THE CITY.DARIUS RILEY, VICE PRESIDENT,WILLOW RIDGE HOME OWNERSASSOCIATION"Maranatha could have donea much better job, and theCity could have done a muchbetter job of letting the areaand the residents around thearea know what was going tohappen there before it wasalready at the planning stagesand it already had a taxabatement done on it."RILEY SAYS THE SCHOOLFIRST NOTIFIEDRESIDENTS OF THEPROJECT A FEW DAYSBEFORE A PLANNINGCOMMISSION PUBLICMEETING.HEAD OF SCHOOLS JANETFOGH TELLS ME THESCHOOL WORKED TO BEFORTHCOMING WITHRESIDENTS, BUT IT NEVERKNEW WHEN THEPLANNING COMMISSIONMEETING WOULD BEBECAUSE OF DELAYSFROM THE CORONAVIRUSPANDEMIC.JANET FOGH, HEAD OFSCHOOLS, MARANATHACHRISTIAN ACADEMY"We honestly thought we dida pretty good job of getting allthree meetings in before thatplanning commission day soI'm sorry they felt that way, wewere really trying very muchfor it to feel the opposite."RESIDENTS SAY THEIRMAIN CONCERN IS TRAFFIC- ESPECIALLY SINCETHERE'S ANOTHERSCHOOL NEARBY AND ANEW RETIREMENT HOME.DAVID WILLIAMS, LIVES INMADISON HEIGHTSNEIGHBORHOOD"We'd love to see adevelopment, okay but againsomething this large with thepossibility of so much trafficand so much noise is kind ofconcerning."FOGH SAYS THE SCHOOLSHOWED RESIDENTS THISTRAFFIC PLAN THAT WILLBE WITHIN THE SCHOOL'SLAND FOR PICKUP ANDDROP OFF TIMES.JANET FOGH, HEAD OFSCHOOLS, MARANATHACHRISTIAN ACADEMY"It won't flow out onto theother streets, and it was builtthat way by our architectsspecifically so it would notback up our other streets."SHE WANTS RESIDENTS TOKNOW THE SCHOOLWANTS TO BE A GOODNEIGHBOR, AND ITSSTUDENTS WILL HELPENHANCE THE AREA.EMMA JAMES, REPORTING"Tonight - the Shawnee CityCouncil will vote whether ornot to approve a re-zoning ofthe land since parts of it arezoned for different things andalso on a special use permitfor the athletic stadium.
InShawnee, Emma James, 41Action News."WE MADE REPEATEDREQUESTS FORINTERVIEWS WITHSHAWNEE CITY OFFICIALS,BUT WE WER
