Frenship Memorial High School under construction. Staff photo.
Frenship ISD and a local developer, Thomas Payne, reached a deal clearing the way for Frenship Memorial High School – still under construction – to open in August with two ways in and out of the school.
In April of last year, LubbockLights.com reported the two sides hit an impasse – keeping Pontiac Avenue from becoming the second point of access, a traffic and safety issue, as previously reported.
The only other way to reach the school was 43rd Drive at Upland Avenue.
Construction of Pontiac Avenue will be done in time for the school to open in August, according to both Frenship and Payne.
Payne credited City Manager Jarrett Atkinson with brokering a deal Payne said otherwise was not going to happen.
“It was entirely his choice. There was no obligation to act as an honest broker and get things off dead center. … I appreciate his efforts, and they were significant.” Payne told LubbockLights.com.
Frenship chose not to grant an interview but provided a brief written statement.
“In December, the landowner took all necessary actions to dedicate the Pontiac Avenue right of way to the City of Lubbock, allowing for the construction of Pontiac Avenue connecting 50th Street to 43rd Drive,” Frenship said.
“This dedication from the landowner to the City of Lubbock provides a second [entrance and exit] to Frenship Memorial High School on Pontiac Avenue. Construction of Pontiac Avenue is currently underway,” the statement said.
Frenship put up the money for Pontiac – $480,000.
Explaining the problem
A map from our previous reporting (see below) demonstrated the problem. The high school is cut off to the north and the east by railroad tracks. An empty field had not been dedicated as a public right of way for Pontiac – meaning the school was also cut off to the south.
The school needs a certificate of occupancy from the city before it can open. Lubbock’s Development Code does not require a specific number of entrances and exits. However, the code says there must be adequate roads.
Payne’s problem back in April was if Pontiac opened without improvements to 50th Street west of the railroad tracks, it would cause traffic problems for a set of apartments under development near the school.
Payne was not obligated to hand over land for the construction of Pontiac until his developments were further along. The school could not force him to open the street.
At the time, Payne said, “The only way that I could consider allowing Pontiac to open prematurely was if I could find some way to widen 50th Street so as to help with the traffic problem.”
The city had no immediate plans to widen that portion of 50th. It would fall to Payne. But that costs money.
Payne was going to ask Frenship to pay for Pontiac, plus ask fellow developers in the area to chip in, which would give him the cash to pay for 50th Street between Pontiac and the railroad tracks. But negotiations between Payne and Frenship deteriorated. See our previous coverage for that part of the story.
Things changed
“There was no discussion going on between the parties. And the city manager called me to go for a ride which we do three or four times a year. And that’s just him keeping up with what’s going on in Lubbock. … The subject came up, and I explained to Jarrett [Atkinson] at that time that I didn’t see how that was gonna get resolved,” Payne said.
Not only did Atkinson act as peacemaker between Payne and the school, the city also made some technical concessions as Payne pays for the widening of 50th between Pontiac and the railroad tracks.
“That widening is going to come in pieces. … I figured out how I will get it done over time. It’s just not all going to happen all at once,” Payne said.
That portion of 50th will be two main lanes and a turn lane, he said.
Now that Pontiac is properly dedicated to the right-of-way, traffic from the school will be able to go south, giving motorists a connection to the intersection of 50th Street and Milwaukee Avenue.
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