The Botetourt and Roanoke County Boards of Supervisors considered approval of an Agreement at separate meetings on December 14 that terminates their revenue sharing agreement at Jack Smith Industrial Park, transfers full ownership of the Blue Ridge Library to Botetourt County, and results in ownership of a 15.197 acre parcel of land by Botetourt County Public Schools for use as a future elementary school site.
Botetourt County Administrator Jerry Burgess and Botetourt County Public Schools Superintendent Tony Brads had jointly conducted a site search in 2009 to identify land suitable for location of a future elementary school site to serve the Blue Ridge area of Botetourt County and to ultimately replace the aging Colonial Elementary School. The results of that search clearly indicated that a 15.197 acre site located within the Jack Smith Park and near the Blue Ridge Library was the best option. That site is jointly owned by the Botetourt County Industrial Development Authority and the Roanoke County Economic Development Authority.
After discussing the matter with individual members of the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors and the Botetourt County School Board, Burgess and Brads approached Roanoke County officials about purchasing the Roanoke County EDA’s interest in the property. After some delay, Roanoke County officials notified Botetourt County that it intended to opt out of a 1986 agreement to develop and operate a joint library (now the Blue Ridge Library) and a 1988 agreement to develop and share the revenues from an industrial park (now the Jack Smith Industrial Park). After months of negotiations, the counties reached an agreement to settle termination of both agreements and to convey the land to Botetourt County (see attached Memorandum of Understanding).
The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors will also consider a separate agreement with the Botetourt County School Board and the Industrial Development Authority of Botetourt County to transfer ownership of the IDA’s interest in the land to the School Board at no cost and to convey the interest in the land obtained by Botetourt from Roanoke County to the School Board. In return, the Botetourt County School Board agrees to pay the cost of the land purchase from Roanoke County by transferring $493,902.50 from the School Division Capital Reserve Fund to the County’s General fund. The net result of this transfer and the net settlement payment from Roanoke County will be a $1,026,157.41 increase in the County’s General Fund balance.
Dr. Brads noted that “the land being obtained is perfectly sized and is located in a pastoral setting well suited for an elementary school. Relatively level and fully served by all necessary infrastructure, it will be economical to develop.”
Both the Botetourt County School Board and the Industrial Development Authority of Botetourt County have already approved the agreement with Botetourt County.
