“Lot of good ideas for building and 12 acres”

The task force to find an alternate use for a former Seneca school building and property is in no rush. And, as Mayor Pro-tem Ronnie O’Kelley put it last night, the committee wants to avoid doing something just for the sake of doing it. O’Kelley is a spokesman for the group of city officials and Adams subdivision residents who agreed to work together after the subdivision protested and put a stop to the city’s plans to use the property for a new utilities complex. The committee’s recommendations will be subject to the city’s approval. Though no recommendations have been made, the idea of taking advantage of the former Kellett Elementary’s green spaces appears to be gaining momentum. Last night the mayor and council spoke with Clemson University’s Grant Cunningham, who grew up in the Kellett neighborhood, about university students undertaking a master plan for the former school building and its 12 acres. Cunningham estimates the cost will fall under $50 thousand, and city leaders indicate interest in budgeting for the master plan in Seneca’s 2014-15 budget.