Harford County and town of Bel Air leaders have struck a deal to provide $2.5 million to increase the size of the auditorium in the proposed new Bel Air High School by nearly 50 percent ? from 540 seats to 800.
County Executive David Craig, Bel Air Mayor Terence O. Hanley and Board of Education member Patrick L. Hess made the announcement Friday at a press conference at the Harford County government headquarters in Bel Air.
“We have been overwhelmed by concerns from citizens,” Hanley said of the present design to build Bel Air High?s auditorium with only 540 seats, 200 fewer than there are at the current high school.
“The auditorium is not used as much as classrooms, so it makes perfect sense from a taxpayer perspective to share with the community … This is the kind of effort we applaud and encourage,” said Cynthia Mumby, president of the Bel Air High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association.
While the PTSA was happy to see the larger auditorium, many still felt they?d been excluded from the planning process early on, she said.
“We were never opposed to a larger auditorium,” Hess said. He said the board?s main concern in approving a larger auditorium was based on a lack of funding in time to meet the expected opening of the new Bel Air High for the 2009-10 school year.
“They have an excellent reputation for the performing arts at Bel Air, but they?ve been fighting a decaying auditorium for years,” said Consquella Frieswyk, mother of two students in the instrumental music, choral and drama programs.
As outlined by Craig and Hanley, the county would put up the $2.5 million for the expansion, and during the course of the next three years, the town would pay the county back $500,000 each year. Craig said the county would “eat” the remainder of the costs.
“I feel confident, but I can?t speak for the rest of them,” Hanley said when asked how he thought the rest of the Bel Air Town Board would vote on the deal. He said the vote would be decided Tuesday.
The Harford County Board of Education will render its decision on the deal by July 26, Hess said.
“This is not a done deal,” Craig cautioned.
Examiner Staff Writer Matt Santoni contributed to this report.
