The new Oak Ridge Preschool is expected to be located at Scarboro Park in central Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
There will be a community meeting in Scarboro on Thursday, April 20, to discuss the plan to build the new Oak Ridge Preschool at Scarboro Park.
There was some opposition from Scarboro residents and former residents, as well as requests for more discussion before a vote, during a special Oak Ridge City Council meeting on March 27. But the City Council voted 5-1 during that meeting to select Scarboro Park for the preschool.
City officials said they want to continue to discuss the project with the community.
The April 20 meeting is like a public forum, and it is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Scarboro Community Center. It’s part of the ongoing dialogue with the community, a city press release said.
A previous community meeting was held at the same venue on March 23 to discuss the site selection for the preschool.
“More than 100 people attended that gathering to see preliminary concepts, ask questions, and provide input on the decision,” the press release said. “Oak Ridge City Council had chosen to delay the vote on a new preschool location at their regular meeting on March 13 in order to allow for further discussion.”
The City of Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Schools have been working to choose a site for the new preschool for about two years. Once the building is complete, the preschool will relocate from the School Administration Building on New York Avenue, the press release said.
“Members of a committee formed to recommend possible sites looked at city-owned properties and a multitude of factors that would impact future students, their families, and the community as a whole,” the press release said.
Scarboro Park, the site ultimately selected by City Council and the Oak Ridge Board of Education, is across the street from the Scarboro Community Center on Carver Avenue.
Members of City Council and the Board of Education will be present at the April 20 community meeting, along with city staff members and the senior project manager at Studio Four Design, the architectural firm selected for the project. Citizens will be able to ask questions and are encouraged to provide suggestions about what they’d like to see with regards to the preschool project and its impact, the press release said.
What: Community meeting on new Oak Ridge Preschool
When: Thursday, April 20, at 6 p.m.
Where: Scarboro Community Center, 148 Carver Avenue, Oak Ridge
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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