Education Board Cautious About Plans For Roundabouts At School

The Oconee County Board of Education reacted cautiously last Monday to school Chief Operating Officer Brook Toole’s update on the four roundabouts planned for Malcolm Bridge Road, including one each at the parent and bus entrances to Malcom Bridge Middle School.

Board Chair Tom Odom was concerned that the School System was receiving all of the information it needs from the county regarding the plans and the right of way the Board of Education will have to surrender for the roundabouts.

Board Member Kim Argo asked if a traffic officer would be at the school entrances once the roundabouts are in place. Toole told here the answer was negative.

She also wanted to know if the work would be completed by the time school starts in August. Toole told her it would be.

Toole told Odom and Board Member Wayne Bagley the work was being done not because there is any special problem with traffic at the school entrances at present but because of planned construction of the shopping center called The Village at Malcom Bridge, opposite the school entrances.

The county’s Development Review Committee, at its meeting on Feb. 15, reviewed the site development plans for a first phase of that shopping center consisting of six buildings.

For more on this story, with a video of the Board of Education meeting on March 4 and the Development Review Committee meeting on Feb. 15, please go to Oconee County Observations.