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Attachment 5 137 <br />Neighborhood Information Meeting <br />Carolina Friends School — Proposed Conditional Use and Special Use Permit <br />Expansion of School facilities at 4809 Friends School Road <br />November 3, 2011 <br />There were 3 neighbors in attendance at the meeting. <br />Tony Whitaker, the applicant's consultant, provided an overview of the project including <br />a history of the school, the reason behind the proposed expansion, and explained the <br />site plan outlining locations for new recreational amenities and classroom buildings. <br />Mr. Whitaker informed those in attendance that the purpose of the Carolina Friends <br />School in submitting the application was to: <br />1. Abandon and relocate an existing septic system currently located within a protected <br />stream buffer, <br />2. Develop a new performing arts center on the property, <br />3. Develop additional recreational fields including: <br />a. tennis courts, <br />b. baseball field, <br />c. volley ball court, <br />4. Develop additions to existing school buildings, and <br />5. Develop a new access drive via Mt Sinai Road to access the facility. This new <br />driveway would also allow for development of additional parking facilities for the <br />school. <br />Question: Will there be any outdoor sports field lights for any of the proposed athletic <br />fields? Answer.- Mr. Whitaker said there are no outdoor lights proposed for the athletic <br />fields and the school did not anticipate ever installing them due to concerns over how <br />they would impact adjacent property owners. Mr. Whitaker indicated that he and <br />planning staff had discussed the permitting process for athletic field lights and ultimately <br />decided that they would create more problems than they were worth. Mr. Harvey <br />interjected the permitting process detailed within County regulations for outdoor sports <br />field lights. <br />Question: The School would be protecting existing vegetation as denoted on the site <br />plan? Answer.' Mr. Whitaker indicated that a 30 foot wide buffer would be preserved or <br />installed on the property consistent with the submitted site plan. <br />Question: Why was the baseball field being moved? Why not move the tennis courts <br />to the proposed new location for the ball field? Answer. • Mr. Whitaker indicated that the <br />ball field was being relocated in order to ensure that there was sufficient compacted <br />soils to support the proposed new access road and to ensure that the road met the <br />minimum width requirements for access by emergency vehicles. Mr. Whitaker indicated <br />that if the ball field remained where it was currently located, there was a concern that <br />the proposed roadway would not meet established standards. <br />