Loudoun County and the town of Purcellville have reached a tentative deal on the construction of Woodgrove High School on Fields Farm north of the town, bringing to a close about two years of lawsuits and political stalemates that delayed the project.
“Board members, ladies and gentlemen of the public … it appears that we have reached settlement with the town of Purcellville and that we can begin to move forward with construction of HS-3,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott York, I-At Large.
“It has been a long, hard tow and certainly now we can begin to do what we need to do to begin the process of construction and relieving the overcrowding situation at Loudoun Valley.”
In 2006, the School Board chose the county-owned Fields Farm for the school’s future site, leading to a legal battle between the town and county over the property.
“I want folks to understand that there is a lot of faith being taken by both sides in this process,” said York. “There are still many legislative acts that [still] have to occur to get to the point of the opening of the school.”
“I’m just hopeful that the town will work actively, proactively with the schools to make the opening happen,” said Jim Burton, I-Blue Ridge. “If they do, if everyone works together, I am very confident that the school can open in the fall of 2010. … I’m hopeful that the spirit of this agreement will be followed by all parties.”
Purcellville Mayor Bob Lazaro said transportation issues and potential congestion were major obstacles to coming to an agreement.
The county has pledged $5.78 million to the town for upgrading the road system to accommodate the extra traffic the school would create.
“It’s quite an impact [on the town],” said Lazaro. “Chairman York and Jim Burton; I appreciate the fact that they recognize the concerns of the town. There’s been a lot of history on this, and it’s time to move this forward to make this school happen.”
Construction on the project is expected to begin early next year, said Loudoun public schools spokesman Wade Byard.
“We are anticipating moving ahead, and 2010 remains the opening,” he said.
