Jeffersonville, Greater Clark County Schools road deal still open-ended

By DAVID A. MANN
David.Mann@newsandtribune.com

June 03, 2009 01:41 pm

— A plan to cap Jeffersonville-Charlestown Pike with a cul-de-sac near Wilson Elementary School is still being negotiated between Jeffersonville and Greater Clark County Schools officials.
The planned cul-de-sac — proposed much to the chagrin of some nearby residents — was introduced in April as one of three interlocal road project agreements between the school system and the city. The agreement would end Jeffersonville-Charlestown Pike and build a new road at the edge of the Wilson Elementary School property.
Planning Director Jim Urban explained that the cul-de-sac would eliminate what he calls a dangerous intersection between Jeffersonville-Charlestown Pike and Holmans Lane.
However, in early May, the council passed a motion to build the new road, but keep the Holmans Lane and Charlestown-Jeffersonville Pike intersection unchanged until further review.
“We’re still up in the air on coming up with a resolution,” Urban said when asked for a status update during a council meeting Monday night.
He also said that the school system would not be interested in the project unless the cul-de-sac was built.
Travis Haire, interim superintendent at Greater Clark, said that’s not necessarily the case. Haire said the cul-de-sac would be important, but said the project could be brought back for the Greater Clark County Schools Board of Trustees to consider without it.
Board President Bob McEwen couldn’t say how important he thought the cul-de-sac would be.
“It’s kind of ongoing,” he said, saying an arrangement was still a work in progress.