The district's own site evaluation — presented publicly on March 17, 2026 — identified this property as the "Hutchins Property" and noted it had "challenging topography that renders a large portion of the property unusable." That was listed as a reason to reject the site. They purchased it anyway for $1.6 million without ever disclosing the price to the public.
Our Concerns
Road Safety & Traffic
Sudbury Road is narrow, two-lane, with no sidewalks, no shoulders, and poor sight lines. It already carries heavy cut-through traffic. The school will generate over 2,100 vehicles at peak hours. NCDOT has confirmed the road must be completely rebuilt — yet the Traffic Impact Analysis only kicked off February 12, 2026. Final road requirements aren't known until end of April. Road design doesn't start until May. Construction starts August 24.
Environmental Impact
The property contains a stream and wetlands at the bottom of a wooded ravine. District staff confirmed at the March 17 meeting that infrastructure must be installed to protect the water resources on site. This likely requires NC DEQ Section 401 and Army Corps Section 404 permits. The district rejected another candidate site for being in the Coddle Creek Watershed Buffer — yet this site's stream has received no equivalent public scrutiny.
Hidden Costs & Budget Integrity
The stated budget is $50.6 million. This does not appear to include full road reconstruction from Davidson Road to Hwy 3, stream and wetland mitigation, or water and sewer extensions. The land was purchased for $1.6 million — never publicly disclosed. The NC Local Government Commission must confirm the budget is realistic before approving financing. We believe the current figure is incomplete.
Their Own Evaluation Said No
The district's own notes from the March 17 presentation call the Morrison Property on Shiloh Church Road their first choice — flat terrain, ideal topography, water available. Passed over mainly on cost. The Christy Property on Hwy 73 offered direct major-road access. Neither was honestly compared against the true total cost of building on this site — which their own team had already flagged as unsuitable.