New Philadelphia School Board to vote on land purchase Tuesday
NEW PHILADELPHIA – The New Philadelphia School District is considering buying a 77‑acre property off state Route 39 just east of the city, and officials say it is not in a flood plain and has multiple access points.
Treasurer Julie Erwin addressed these common questions as the School Board prepares to vote on the proposed purchase Tuesday. The district’s plan is to build two new schools there if an income tax issue passes in May.
“This property is not in the flood plain,” Erwin said. “The original property we started out negotiating had a piece of it in the flood plain. The seller decided to retain the piece that was in the flood plain.”
Erwin says there is more than one possible entrance to the property.
“There are two areas where we can possibly have an ingress and egress: one off of Route 39 and one off of Ridge Road,” she said.
The letter of intent from the School Board lists the price at $2.75 million, with the seller listed as Ridge Valley LLC.
The purchase is contingent on the 1.5 percent income tax issue passing, annexation of the property into the city, the results of soil and traffic studies, mineral rights agreements, land surveys and the seller retaining naming rights to new roads in honor of the family’s farm legacy.
The district has scheduled a special School Board meeting for 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at the administration building for a vote on the Letter of Intent to purchase land on State Route 39.