BY SHEILA QUINN, CSD SUPERINTENDENT
Clover, SC, Originally published as a letter to the community in the December 15 issue of “This Week in Clover”. I’d like to use my column this week to summarize Monday night’s Board of Trustees meeting. Thank you to those who turned out for the meeting in person and to the nearly 200 people who watched from home. The evening was a rollercoaster of emotions, ranging from tremendous excitement as Miller Pazdan Smith unveiled final plans for High School #2 to mounting frustration as the district has faced the repeated rejection of multiple plans submitted to York County. First, let’s talk about those architectural renderings. Ben Thompson and Alex Lay of Miller Pazdan Smith shared details about both the interior and exterior of the new high school. The facility will feature three academic house wings. One will host freshmen, while the other two will support sophomores, juniors and seniors. Each wing has a collaboration zone for student work and a mixture of large and small spaces to provide flexibility in student-teacher interactions. Each wing has an open design to maintain good visibility and enhance safety and security. The cafeteria and an outdoor dining area will overlook athletic facilities to the rear of the building. The gymnasium will seat 1,700-1,800 students and will feature a wraparound concourse. The gym will have a full lobby and concessions. A 1,000-seat auditorium will serve as the core of the performing arts space. Teacher workspaces are included so that staff may leave their classrooms during their planning periods, allowing for the utilization of that classroom by another teacher to fully maximize space. To see the design for yourself, view the slide deck. Chief Operations Officer Dr. Mark Hopkins was joined by Kelly Clayton of the Leitner Group and Brian Crutchfield of the Timmons Group to outline the approval process to begin construction of the new school. There are four sub-parts of the full civil plan: (1) Civil Construction Plan (Site Plan); (2) Public Sewer Access; (3) Traffic Impact Analysis; and (4) Nationwide Permits. An interesting fact to note is that CSD began working on all four plans in 2021 before the first bond referendum failed. The work was paused until the second bond was finally passed in November 2022. CSD’s Civil Construction Plan has now been submitted four times, and has been rejected all four times, with the latest rejection coming this week. However, the latest issues are minor changes and the County has committed to a quick process to address the remaining minor details. The changes in CSD’s site plans will be submitted prior to winter break. The sewer pump station was a major stumbling block. It was built and installed by a developer in 2010 to support growth in the area. The new schools will be the first development in the area to use it. Because it wasn’t previously in use, York County never certified and accepted the pump station. The district and the developer worked through several hurdles to turn the system over to the county. Several intersections were deemed “failing” by the county due to future delays in making a left turn during the peak school traffic hours (morning arrival and afternoon dismissal). The district was required to mitigate all identified failing intersections in the traffic plan. The district proposed putting a traffic light at Hwy 274 and Cannonball Run and Hwy 49 and Cannonball Run, but SCDOT denied the traffic lights because there is no current traffic at those intersections. SCDOT also doesn’t consider peak hours. They look at traffic over the course of the full day. To meet the county standards for mitigation, the district had to amend the traffic plan to require all cars to turn right out of the school property onto Cannonball Run towards Hwy 49 where a round-about will have to be installed prior to August 2026. The district will also have to contribute funds to a light at Pinnacle Road and Hwy 274 when and if SCDOT agrees that it is warranted. Finally, the district worked for months on removing the requirement of a “connection” road from West Liberty Hill Rd. to Cannonball Run. Ultimately, the county council had to intervene to amend the planned development language that required a connection. To see the full history of the plan submission, view the slide deck. To see the full history of plan submissions, view the slide deck. This presentation concluded with more positive news. The Board of Trustees awarded the site prep contract to Hoopaugh Grading Company. A contractor now stands ready to begin clearing the land–pending permit approval. CSD is expecting feedback on both the Civil Construction Plan and Traffic Impact Analysis before winter break. As Board Member Matt Burris so eloquently framed it on Monday night, CSD has one Christmas wish–the approval of all plans related to High School #2 so that we can celebrate the new year with a groundbreaking ceremony and stay on our timeline to deliver the Clover community its much-needed new school. Best wishes, Sheila Quinn, Ed.D. Superintendent *Editor’s Note: The school colors have not been determined yet, so color renderings may not be accurate. The renderings below were created by the architectural firm Miller Pazdan Smith.
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