New Lanier Tech campus location remains in question

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New Lanier Tech campus location remains in question

Posted by

Susan Norman

in Top Stories & Breaking News, Winder Archives

Tuesday, October 26. 2010

Comments (4)

Several Barrow County commissioners learned Tuesday night that despite the county’s offer of 20 free acres off Hwy. 316, Lanier Tech officials are considering purchasing a different site for the future Barrow County campus.

At a joint meeting with the Barrow County Board of Commissioners, School Board Chairman Mark Still read a letter from Lanier Tech President Russell Vandiver disclosing that the technical college system’s board of trustees will consider a new proposal from Stan Coley.

Coley, who owns property south of Hwy. 316 and not far from the prestigious Georgia Club development, recently resigned his seat on the Georgia Bioscience Joint Development Authority due to a potential conflict of interest caused by his planned development of the land.

He told the Barrow Journal on Wednesday morning that he has been in discussions with Lanier Tech officials but that there is no “proposal.”

However, Vandiver’s letter states that Coley has proposed a lease-purchase concept in which the college would lease the site for six years and then purchase it. No dollar figures were disclosed in the letter, according to a county source.

A drawing of the planned development also was distributed at the meeting. It indicates the land is south of Hwy. 316 and abuts Hwy. 324 and Doc McLocklin Road.

Most of the planned uses in the development are to be for research and development. Other uses are to be retail, hotel and day care space.

Vandiver’s letter states the college trustees would consider the new proposal after the upcoming gubernatorial election.

School board members already knew about the proposal, as did county chairman Danny Yearwood and at least one other commissioner. But it came as a surprise to most of the commissioners.

At recent joint meetings with the school board, the BOC tentatively agreed to provide 20 acres at no cost to the college.

If Lanier Tech pulls out of the joint project on the county property, the BOC and the BOE would have to fund the entire cost of the construction of the planned multipurpose building and career academy.

No cost estimates have been developed, because the joint project is still in the initial planning stages. About $5 million in county and school sales tax revenues have been set aside for future construction.

The next joint meeting of the two boards is scheduled for Nov. 16.

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#1 DuWayne Anderson on 10/26/10 at 11:10 AM [Reply]

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have a question. Why would Lanier Tech turn down free land from the county, to enter into a 6 year lease purchase deal? As a former member of the Architectural Programing Committee for The N.E. Georgia Arts and Convention Center, I am curious as to why we can't move forward to build a facility as part of a bigger Lanier Tech Campus. Our students desperately need a dual purpose facility that will allow them opportunity to grow and perform their talents in front of their parents and peers. Lanier Tech is aware of this issue. $4.5 million was voted on by the taxpayers for this exact purpose, and no other.
I am well aware that $4.5 million is not a great amount of money to build a top notch facility, but we can build something that will at least bridge the gap until more revenue is available. This project must be set as a priority for the students of Barrow County, and not treated as a political football. The county has already spent a good deal of money on this development, and the time to act is now! I commend and applaud the leadership of both the BOE and BOC, for sticking to their guns and keeping the focus for this project on the well being of Barrow County and it's students, and community. If the Board at Lanier Tech does not agree with the Barrow County BOE/BOC core focus, clearly we as a county must be concerned about that decision.
The time has come to stand up for all of our students, who ARE the future of Barrow County,
and build the best facility possible with the funds we do have.

DuWayne R. Anderson
Winder, GA

#2 Call your legislators and congressmen on 10/26/10 at 01:30 PM [Reply]

Enough of this!! Why should the taxpayers have to pay more money so that Coley can pad his pockets. I stand by the BOE & BOC!

#3 DuWayne Anderson on 10/26/10 at 04:06 PM [Reply]

Ms. Norman,
I sincerely hope that the Barrow Journal intends to follow up on this new revelation from Lanier Tech. The Barrow Journal has the reputation for asking the hard questions, and demanding accurate and honest answers concerning this issue.
It would also be appropriate to ask for additional comments from the Lanier Tech Board, and management of the Winder campus. In addition, I believe it would also be appropriate to inquire as to why Mr. Coley would not offer to support the 316 location and possibly become an investor in the project. He is well aware of the efforts that have been put forth to by the county to get a multi-use facility built here in Barrow.
I find this decision by Lanier Tech both disturbing, and troublesome. I think a complete airing of the reasons for this decision are in order. I hope your publication will step up to the plate and get to the bottom of this..............
Sincerely,
DuWayne R. Anderson
Winder, GA

#4 Do you really want the answer? on 10/28/10 at 07:42 PM [Reply]

"Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have a question. Why would Lanier Tech turn down free land from the county, to enter into a 6 year lease purchase deal?"

The obvious answer to this question is that the people that run Lanier tech are highly educated people who make it their business to know more than the average joe. What they know that apparently you dontDuhwayne is that Barrow County is currently run by a collection of near, as well as bonified iodiots who would take an opporyunity like this and srew it up six ways to Sunday, without having to try very hard.
Do you really want Dumbwood and company in charge of a project like this? Are you kidding me? Lets see the so-called "leaders" of Barrow County step up and do one thing right before anyone allows them a chance to make us look bad ...again.

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