In a response to a resident comment, recently elected Secretary of the Kings Forest Community Association, Lois Vance, disclosed new details of the board's actions related to the high school construction and parking lot setback variance. Vance is currently helping residents engage with the school district to address their concerns. We print here a portion of her response.
"I have read the official KFCA minutes from 2003 through April of 2008. There are only 3 statements in these minutes that refer to this issue at KHS. They are directly from the minutes as follows:
1. February 6, 2006 – Deed Restrictions
Construction at the high school parking lot was discussed. They want to modify the entrance and exits from the back parking lot on Valley Manor Dr. One will be right across from one homeowner’s driveway
2. April 2, 2007 – Deed Restrictions
Howard Pitman gave a report. Mark Krueger came to him for a signature for the high school parking lot construction. There will be a lot of temporary buildings until the construction is completed at the high school.
3. May 7, 2007 – Deed Restrictions
Howard Pitman gave a report. He had to re-sign all of the paper work for the parking lot at the high school. He stated that Exxon would not sign until the school board signed.
"That is all there is on this issue. There is no indication that a vote by the board to sign this variance was ever taken, even though Howard Pitman on two different occasions signed the variance.
"There is no indication that the residents to be impacted by this action were ever contacted or informed of this action. In fact, these same residents have recently stated that they had no idea such a variance had ever been granted until the school district produced the papers with Mr. Pitman’s signature. Deborah Yocham, representing HISD, stated that had this variance not been signed by Mr. Pitman, the exit in question would not be where it is currently being planned."
In addition, we provide here a copy of the school district's parking lot plan that was submitted to the board on April 27, 2005. Blue ink notations are original to this document. This shows that there were no subsequent changes by the school district to the plan, so the Kings Forest board had full knowledge of the impacts three years ago.
