Anybody heard of New Beginnings, in Pace, Florida and the Reverend Jimmy Clark? :scared:
Teen girl academy plan tabled
By Kathi Keys
Staff Writer, The Courier-Tribune
ASHEBORO - The Randolph County Planning Board wants more detailed information about the opening of a private resident academy at the former Farmer School before considering whether a special use permit should be issued for its operation.
The board unanimously agreed Tuesday night to delay action until an unspecified date to give the applicant, Jimmie Clark of Lexington, time to work with the planning staff on specifics of the project.
Clark told board members about his vision to open a girls home for troubled teens, ages 12-17, at the former school facility on 17.18 acres at 4751 Dunbar Bridge Road, off Old N.C. 49 in Farmer.
The evangelist now operates a similar facility in Pace, Fla., New Beginnings, which helps troubled teens who have "authority problems, rebellion problems."
He said that through a structured Christian environment, the school helps the girls turn their lives around. Those on drugs or pregnant are not eligible for admittance.
Clark said he wanted a similar type of facility in this area and initially tried to get property in Davidson County which was later sold to Bob Timberlake. He then learned about the old Farmer School property owned by Bill and Becky Lineberry who had bought the property in the 1980s for a sports center for handicapped youth and naming it for their son, Andy.
Clark has leased the property with an option to purchase it by Oct. 1. His immediate plans would be to convert one wing of the existing classroom building into dormitory space for as many as 36 teen girls and provide classes in other portions of the building. One section would also be used for his ministry, Church and Youth Revival Ministries.
He said the existing garage and gym are useable, but has no immediate plans for repairing the auditorium which may have to be torn down or shelled and repaired in the future.
Bill Lineberry was one of six speakers in support of Clark's request. He said they spent $150,000 to redo the gym. "But, we couldn't fix it as fast as they'd tear it up," he added about the vandalism which has regularly occurred at the former county school.
"This is the best thing I've heard of. It was a school and can be a school again."
A show of raised hands indicated 25 citizens were present in favor of the request, with a handful of them indicating they lived within a mile of the old school.
Attorney Jon Megerian, representing neighbors opposing the facility, pointed out that the applicant did not provide sufficient information on health and safety issues posed by the vandalized buildings, project specifics, impact on property values and its conformance with the land development plan.
Four citizens in attendance indicated they opposed the request.
The public hearing and ensuing discussion lasted nearly an hour and a half and was preceded by an hour-long discussion on another special use permit request.
Tom Spears of Asheboro was seeking a permit to allow a Planned Rural Development for family members on 65.60 acres off Carl Brady Road in the Pleasant Grove Township. The request had been delayed from the May meeting to clarify details of an access easement, granted in 1985, from Carl Brady Road to the tract.
The Spears family bought the property with the intention of three brothers and a sister living there after they retired. Two houses are now located on the tract and the permit requested for an additional two houses under the county's Planned Rural Development for family members.
Discussion centered around the 16-foot easement through the property of Susan Brown Thomason of Lexington who opposed the permit along with her husband, Randy, and their attorney. The Spears were represented by attorney Ben Albright.
The board unanimously agreed to issue the special use permit which restricts any further construction of houses on the tract.
The planning board began consideration of six property rezoning requests shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday; information about action on those matters was not available at presstime due to the lateness of the meeting.
