By MELISSA PEACOCK

EDGARD – The St. John the Baptist Parish Council voted this week to table an ordinance authorizing Parish President Nickie Monica to purchase the Second Ward school property from the St. John Parish School Board.

The decision came after Monica told the council he was not sure whether the property would be large enough to use for purposes outlined by the School Board.

Monica asked the council for an additional two weeks to check with consultants and the Edgard Youth Organization on “some sizing requirements that must be worked out.” According to Monica, the nearly 15-acre tract may not be big enough to build regulation size fields for a West Bank recreational complex.

When the School Board voted in June to sell the old Second Ward property to the parish, concerned board members asked that a clause be added to negotiations. The clause stipulates that the property can only be used for recreation or education.

At the time, the Parish Council was considering the purchase of the land for one of two proposed parish projects, the construction of a multiple court, multiple field recreation center or a public works yard.

“We are still working with a consultant,” Monica said. “I need to discuss it with council (to see if they would be willing to purchase the property for another use if it is not big enough for recreation). Until I have more information, I would rather not comment.”

According to Lester Rainey, a Councilman for the West Bank, there are two other properties near the Second Ward school that are large enough to meet land requirements for the complex. The properties could also provide space for future growth and expansion of the facility.

“If we use the Second Ward property, we would have two cut out two football fields, leaving only the one that is already there, three baseball diamonds, leaving the baseball diamond that is there now, two floors of the gymnasium, because (Councilman Cleveland) Farlough wants to use the gym that is there now, and there would be no playground,” Rainey said.

Both Farlough and Rainey have developed ideas for the recreational complex. Farlough supports the plan that utilizes pre-existing fields on the Second Ward Property. Under this plan, the school baseball field and football/soccer field would be incorporated into the recreational facility. A new community center and softball field would be added to the property.

Rainey’s plan includes tennis courts, small outdoor basketball courts, a gym/community building with three floors, retractable walls and some soundproofing, additional sports fields and a playground area for smaller children.

“We knew that 1.3 million would not be enough to develop it all at one time,” Rainey said. “We start with the purchase of the land at about $200,000. We could spend roughly $100,000 on the playground, the next $100,000 leveling the land to build the building. The rest of the million would go towards the multipurpose building.”

According to Rainey, money could be conserved by utilizing Public Works for parking lots and some preliminary field work. Additional funding for the project may be available through grant monies.

“Each professional sports group is looking to expand their sport,” Rainey said. “They provide grant money to expand their sports into low-income areas.”

The Parish Council agreed to direct the administration to pursue funding to develop additional phases of the West Bank recreational complex Tuesday. But, so far, there has been no decision made on where the recreational center will be located.

Rainey said he agreed to try to make the Second Ward property work when the Parish started looking to purchase it in 2000. Now, he said, he can not support the purchase of the property for this purpose.

“Sentimental reasons does not fit well with me,” Rainey said, speculating on Farlough’s reasons for wanting to purchase the Second Ward property.

Farlough was once a principal at Second Ward school.

“There is about $200,000 worth of asbestos removal (on the property),” Rainey said. “It is not large enough. The gym does not have windows and does not meet the regulation sized court for basketball. We would like to work on building, not on tearing down.”

Appraisals ordered by the School Board valued the property at about $72,000. The Parish Council has not had the land appraised, Rainey said.

While members of the council and some West Bank residents are divided on where the complex should be build, many St. John parents are united in their believe that the property should remain in the possession of the School Board.

“I have children scattered in schools throughout the parish,” one mother said. “I think the present public schools are becoming overcrowded. The property should be used to build another school or the money (from the real estate) should go to expand the current schools.”