• New mixed use developments (MUDs)/apartments will drive 57% of growth in Schools
• Homeowners will pay for new School and City infrastructure – not developers or MUDs
• Our small schools will become super-sized
• GMHS could be Tysons III

By Mark Kaye, JD/MBA – Candidate for School Board

I recently authored a document concerning the negative impact of MUDs on the schools and City finances. At the October 8^th City Council and School Board forum – council candidate Letty Hardy made misleading statements about MUDs. The same misleading comments were put forth by a pro-developer group that lists School Board candidate Erin Gill as a supporter or endorser. City Council candidate Phil Duncan has mimicked the same misleading information during the October 1^st City Council Candidate forum. I am writing to set the record straight.

The situation:

• 36% of school growth in the last decade will be attributable to MUDs by next year
  • The combo of MUDs and apartments will be driving 57% of school growth
• MUDs/apartments do not contribute in any significant manner to the enormous infrastructure costs to renovate or expand schools to handle the growth in number of kids
  • Rising homeowner taxes will effectively subsidize developers!
• Population growth caused by MUDs stresses other infrastructure and will drive need for more city services, infrastructure, recreational space, etc.
  • This will create competition for tax dollars between schools and City
• Long term impact of MUDs on size of our schools could be greater based upon history of apartments (2002 to 2015)
  • Oakwood: 67 to 142; Merrill House: 37 to 63
  • Pearson was predicted at 35 kids as condos – but as MUD/Apt it is now at 120
• Schools and City will be harmed
  • Schools and classrooms will no longer be small – but supersized
  • More traffic and congestion – more akin to Tysons or Ballston

The Little City needs development – but we need the right type of development. MUDs have proven themselves to be an unsustainable type of development for the Little City.

We are now hearing that the proposed development of the GMHS/MEH campus – this last expanse of green space in the City – will be a very high density development that will most likely contain many MUDs. That is, we will turn the site in to Tysons III – with a dramatic change in the character of the Little City.

It is time for the citizens to control the future of the Little City and not developers.

We can do better.

Contact and Additional Information:
Mr. Kaye also has an MBA from The University of Chicago and his law degree is from Georgetown University.
Mr. Kaye can be contacted at KayeForFCCSchools@gmail.com