Brandon Twp.-About a week after township officials inked a $1.995 million deal for 66.1 acres of property just south of Brandon High School, the Brandon School Board OK’d the purchase of 16.03 of those acres for a future parking lot and buffer from the future township development. The purchase, at a cost of $410,500, will also open up about 29 acres of land just southeast of the high school that was previously landlocked due to other developments, says Tom Miller.
Funding for the land purchase was part of the $73 million district bond extension OK’d by voters earlier this year.
Township officials approved the school’s purchase at a special meeting Nov. 21.
The school district’s purchase leaves the township about 50 acres, including about 5.2 acres of M-15 frontage that the fire department would keep for a potential fire station (zoned C); 22.6 acres of property that is zoned R1B and could potentially be used by the township for a municipal complex in the future and could also serve as a location for a wastewater treatment plant; 5.3 acres of wetlands; and 17 acres for a conservation easement.
The district is also considering about 23 acres of property just north of Leece Road along Oakwood Road for the construction of a new elementary school replacing H.T. Burt Elementary. Currently, the district is waiting on a safety report from traffic engineers.