SBA Handbook - A closer look

The SBA Handbook is the guidebook for school facilities, whether it is improvements or the building of new schools.  While looking thru it is like looking at any governement document, time consuming and often confusing, it looks like there might be some violations with Kenna Ridge. The most glaring is Policy 6200

Chapter 2, Section 202.06 states:

For the safety of students, the site shall be located away from hazards and undesirable environments, such as: arterial highways, noise and property zoned as industrial

Now, a couple of things come to mind when a person read this....

Hazards - Below, you will see some visual explanations of what we believe are hazards.  The new school will be located near several businesses that are quite hazardous.  (see M&M explosion article below) In addition to the industrial businesses that have dangerous materials in the Kenna Ridge Park, there is a hazardous waste disposal company yards below the proposed site.  The close proximity of this raises unknown concerns. What would happen if there were an explosion or a chemical leak?  Our children would be at imminent risk.

Undesirable environments - When you stand up at the Church above the site or drive into the Kenna Ridge Industrial Park, you get a sense of the environment the new school will be located.  It is hard to put into words but it just really isn't where you think about the ideal location for a school.  It definitely won't be the rolling hills and open landscpe where the current school is now.  Instead, there will be our school with a metal/wood  business on one side and White Pine Milling and M&M Drilling on the other, in addition to the other businesses in the Industrial Park that may buy land and be located in there.  What does that mean?  Well, heavy trucks, out of area workers, security fences, and interstate noise.  Drive up there.  Check out the people and the businesses up there.

Arterial Highways - The new school will be located SECONDS from Interstate 77.  The traffic at the end of the road will be a nightmare.  And there is the unspoken fear of an angry estranged parent or other disgruntled individual being able to get to the Interstate that quickly with one of our kids...

Noise - I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure that the industrial businesses in Kenna Ridge will be making some noise producing their products. Metal and drilling aren't office jobs...And once again, there is always the lovely din and roar of nearby Interstate 77.

Property zoned as industrial - Well despite the evidence presented to the SBA, School Board, and the press, the powers to be have managed to say that Kenna Ridge can't be zoned anything because it is in a rural area and rural areas aren't zoned.  It makes you think though - 3/4 of West Virginia is RURAL.  Shouldn't that be taken into consideration?  So, RURAL Jackson County - YOU LOSE!  Welcome to your industrial park school!!!!