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INCLINE VILLAGE, Nevada – The sale of the former Incline Village Elementary School on Southwood Boulevard to the Tahoe Transportation District was ratified by the Washoe County School District on Tuesday despite an attempt to bring the matter back to the board of trustees for further discussion.
Administrator Jeffrey Church was hoping to remove the item from the consent calendar in order to further discuss the details of the sale amid considerable opposition from residents of Incline.
After telling many of her constituents that the sale would be discussed and potentially halted, Board Chair Angela Taylor announced that the rules had changed for directors wishing to remove items from the consent schedule due to complaints about too long meetings.
Originally, board members could withdraw any element of consent for discussion, regardless of the support of other board members.
“If the board has already deliberated on this as a board, then you need two directors,†Taylor said. “It’s to keep us from going in circles.
As a result, Church was unable to withdraw the element of consent due to the lack of support from other directors. This came as a surprise to Church and many Incline residents who voiced objections to the sale during public comments.
Residents and the church have responded to many concerns about the sale and possible construction of a mobility hub in the area. The property, located at 771 Southwood Boulevard, is adjacent to one of two downtown areas, as well as several apartment complexes.
Directly across from the property on Oriole and Southwood, cars are legally parked next to each other on both sides of the roads, where permitted, and many residents noted that it is not uncommon to see children of all ages in the area. Many residents fear that with the area’s high density problems, a mobility hub will no longer bring crime to the area, which has already suffered three thefts in the past two months.
Another issue that many were unhappy with was the lack of a new valuation for the sale, given that it was sold for just over $ 2 million. The last expertise of the site dates back to April 2019.
A petition against the sale has been signed by more than 2,000 people. Church was disappointed that this point was not discussed further.
“I am disappointed that this is not a topic of discussion,†Church said. “We are up to 2,075 people to oppose this sale. That’s a lot for Incline Village.
TTD District Manager Carl Hasty spoke about the sale ahead of the public commentary, responding to many of the concerns raised by the public.
“[There’s] a lot of passion, a lot of interest, which is a good thing to engage a community, â€said Hasty. “This is the start of the process, not the end. We don’t have a project yet. We will be very engaged with the community about the project.
The vote to approve the consent schedule was 5-1, with Church in opposition.
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