Sale of Kingsbury Middle School is focus of special school board meeting

A special meeting of the Douglas County School Board will be held on Monday, July 24 at 4:30 p.m. to discuss, review and vote on one of two options surrounding the sale of Kingsbury Middle School.

The district closed the school during the 2008-2009 school year due to declining enrollment. Zephyr Cove Elementary School and Whittell High School adjusted the grades the serve to absorb the middle school students. The district put the school building and property on the market in 2012 and it has now been vacant for over eight years.

On July 12, 2016, the school district and the buyer, Lake Parkway LLC, entered into an agreement for $3.15 million, $850,000 below asking price. The escrow was to be for one year and the sale agreement was contingent upon rezoning of the 22.4 acre parcel, TRPA and Douglas County building permits.

Patrick K. Taylor of the Cave Rock area is listed as managing member of Lake Parkway LLC on the State of Nevada Secretary of State website.

Taylor said he wants to build affordable housing apartment/condominium units on the property located on Echo Drive in back of the Lake Village neighborhood.

There is now an amendment to the original contract that the board will be voting on Monday. They asked Lake Parkway LLC to submit an additional $40,000 non-refundable deposit into Escrow, bringing that total to $55,000. The company put that money in on July 13, 2017. The money was deposited to extend escrow to July 31, 2017.

On Monday, the school board faces two options:

1. Continue with sale to current buyer and approve an amendment to the sale contract, or

2. Terminate escrow and consider other options. Decline to approve the amendment in which case the property will fall out of escrow and the board would again advertise the property for sale.

If the board votes to terminated escrow the buyer would get the $40,000 they just deposited back and the District would get the original $15,000. If they vote to extend escrow and the buyer can't close by the end of July, the District gets to keep the whole $55,000.

Another possible buyer has come forward according to sources, one who is proposing to convert the existing structure into a health and wellness center.

The meeting will be held at the Airport Training Center. 1126 Airport Road, Building G-1 in Minden, Nev.