The Carroll County Board of Education is working toward acquiring land they say would alleviate traffic congestion around Villa Rica High School and allow it to be expanded to accommodate up to 1,800 students, but there may be a snag in the plan.

Dave Goldberg, executive director of facilities for the Carroll County School System, laid out a preliminary plan this week to the Villa Rica City Council and the issues of bringing the plan to fruition.

A two-story addition is being built at the school to house the 9th Grade Academy. But the addition is being built under a variance from the Georgia Board of Education because the school doesn’t meet the current requirements for acreage.

“We have already been informed by the Department of Education that the next phase of construction we have planned for Villa Rica High School, they’re going to deny until we acquire some more land,” Goldberg said.

The next phase would include baseball and softball fields, an athletic complex and additional parking. Also, school officials plan to tear down the front hallway of the school so that a new two-story wing and administration area can be built in its place in 2009. A new gymnasium is also planned.

In looking for land around the school that would allow this second phase to take place while at the same time meeting the GDOE acreage requirements, the county school system has been working with Mike Fitzsimmons on a deal with the Leathers family on a 28-acre tract. Under the deal, the school system would basically be given the back portion of the property -- 14 to 16 acres -- and the Leathers family would be able to develop the remaining portion of the property, most likely for commercial use.

The problem is that the dead-end road off Highway 61 that could lead into the property is privately owned.

“The plan that we have will also create a traffic loop around the whole school,” Goldberg said. “If we come to some agreements to conditions that we have around there with Meadowlark Drive and Clearview Street, we can get this property that we need with a deal with the owners of the Leathers property. Obviously, right now, that property is landlocked and we’re having to figure out a way to get it unlocked so they can get access to the front piece of property so they would be willing to give us the back piece of property.”

Goldberg said school officials met with public safety departments in Carroll County and Villa Rica, who have shown support for it because it will increase response times to the school and provide better traffic flow in the area if the roads are opened up.

Jeff Matthews, the Villa Rica developer who owns the access road in question, Meadowlark Drive, said he was willing to allow it to be opened for the project if he was properly compensated. Opening it up would allow someone else to make money off of commercial development accessed through a road he has maintained for 22 years.

Both city and school officials have their hands tied because new laws won’t allow them to condemn the property that includes the private road through eminent domain if the Leathers property, or at least part of that property, would later be used for a commercial venture.

“I’m not objecting to opening it up, but there has to be some compensation because you as a City Council can’t benefit another developer at the expense of me or the neighborhood,” Matthews said.

The Leathers property at one time connected all the way to Hickory Level Road, but when Interstate 20 was built it was cut in half and that portion on the north half became landlocked.

“The property as it stands now is basically compromised because we can’t get good access to it,” Fitzsimmons said. “The idea would be if we can get access to the front half of it, the Leathers family would be in a position to pretty much donate the remaining portion to the Board of Education. The Leathers family really wants to see this ballfield come in for the city, and also make a little money on the deal.”

Asked if the school system had considered building a new school somewhere else so they wouldn’t have the acreage problems they already have, Goldberg said it was the current philosophy of the school board to maximize all its campuses because property has become so expensive and hard to find.

Goldberg acknowledged there may be other options for access to the property, but the Meadowlark Drive entrance would be ideal for all parties concerned.

“It’s a good thing for everybody if we can pull it off,” Goldberg said.

City officials agreed that something needed to be worked out and requested all parties continue to work on a plan that will be beneficial to all involved.

“Personally, I don’t feel the plan laid out there is going to fly, for obvious reasons,” Mayor J. Collins said. “We can’t condemn that piece of property and then allow development to come in. That’s going to cost Mr. Matthews some valuable property there and that would be unfair. I would like to see the city, Mr. Matthews, the school board and the Leathers come up with something that is going to beneficial to the Leathers, Mr. Matthews and ultimately to the school system.”