KENT- A decade ago, Carmel School District voters approved the purchase of a large parcel on Route 52 in Kent for a new Transportation Department facility.
Over time, the Board of Education abandoned plans to build the facility after consultants and advisors identified significant challenges. Although several alternatives were considered, the Board concluded that rising cost estimates made it impossible to complete the project within the scope approved by voters.
Residents of Putnam’s largest school district received good news this week when the Carmel School Board voted to finalize the sale of the land for $3.47 million that had remained unused.
On Wednesday, Superintendent Michael Plotkin said the action brought “closure to a complex chapter in our history, as the property on Route 52 was ultimately not viable for school district purposes.”
The cost of the $6 million bus depot ballooned to more than double the price.
The largest turnout in any Carmel School election in more than a decade resulted in a successful vote in 2018 that authorized the district to improve infrastructure in each of its school buildings while replacing the school’s aging and out-of-compliance transportation facility adjacent to the Kent Elementary School.
The approval allowed the district to purchase land about a half mile east of Ludingtonville Road for the new transportation facility compliant with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Plans also included blacktop, parking and a bus wash for the district’s 120 vehicles.
The district later learned that construction estimates were double the cost and the Board of Education released its original architect before hiring a new planner who was directed to scale back the project.
At the time, Superintendent of Schools Mary-Margaret Zehr explained the size of the building could not be reduced because the structure would be “outside of the parameters approved by the voters.”
The senior member of the Board of Education, John Curzio, opposed what he described as the “ill-fated project” from the beginning.
Curzio said: “By completing the sale of the Route 52 property, the Carmel School Board fulfilled its commitment to protect taxpayers and responsibly manage school district resources. The sale returns the property to the Town of Kent tax rolls and closes a chapter that has generated significant discussion within our community. Most importantly, it demonstrates the current Carmel School Board’s commitment to fiscal accountability and respecting the will of the voters.”
Plotkin called the pending sale “a responsible, forward-looking decision by the Board of Education that reflects fiscal stewardship and long-term planning. Its greatest value is in resolving a longstanding issue and allowing the district to refocus its time and resources on its core educational mission. For the community, the sale marks an important step toward moving past earlier challenges and ensuring district assets support current and future needs. I believe the board is proud to close this chapter and continue making decisions rooted in accountability and progress.”
The sale to Bay Properties NY, LLC will return the land to the tax rolls.
The closing date on the property is set for June 23.
Comments