Dear (Name of Addressee)
Enclosed is a petition from the residents around Stuart Hall School for Boys (2032 S. Carrollton Ave.) and from members of the Carrollton Community. We (residents and community) know that Stuart Hall wants to expand the “footprint” of the school by enlarging the campus in this area. We are strongly opposed to any expansion of the campus in our community. We have lived with and worked around the increasing problems created by Stuart Hall over the years and will continue to do so, but any expansion of the school campus is unacceptable to us. The expansion of Stuart Hall is reflective of the continued encroachment of businesses into the residential areas of Carrollton and New Orleans, carrying with this development the destruction of our homes, our neighborhoods, and our way of life. If this continuing destruction of our neighborhoods does not stop, we will lose the architectural uniqueness and diversity in our city that is noted world wide and draws tourists from all over the globe. We hope that the history and information in this accompanying letter will clarify the situation for you before Stuart Hall is allowed to demolish any of our homes or is granted a conditional use permit.

The Carrollton Presbyterian Church has been located at 2032 S. Carrollton Ave. for many years. In 1960 they started a Church school which operated on Carrollton and Panola. This school included kindergarten to12th grade and, at its peak, had an attendance of 360 children. These children were from the Carrollton area and usually walked or rode the street car to school. During the years of its operation, the Presbyterian based school caused some inconveniences for residents but the school was generally responsive and sensitive to community needs and concerns. The school closed in 1988.

Stuart Hall School, founded four years previously, rented and moved into the vacant Presbyterian school buildings at 2032 S. Carrollton in 1988. They purchased a residential home (which is still zoned residential) at 8142 Panola in 1990 and eventually added a playground for the school children in the back-yard of this home. Stuart Hall has steadily grown over the last fourteen years, and now has 212 children enrolled from nursery school age (3 year olds) to 7th grade. Stuart Hall’s growth has caused an increase in traffic problems, parking problems, and noise and odor problems in this area.

As Stuart Hall’s enrollment has grown, so have the traffic problems experienced by the residents and surrounding community. Most of the children currently attending the school are not from this area, and are dropped-off in the morning and picked-up in the evening by automobile. This increased traffic makes travel in the surrounding community difficult and dangerous. Crossing Carrollton from Panola is very dangerous at peak times due to parents blocking the view of on-coming traffic with their vehicles, and at times blocking the street altogether. Traveling down Carrollton during peak times, and after school events is very dangerous due to vehicles pulling out onto Carrollton suddenly and unexpectedly. Community members cannot take the block of Panola to Carrollton without being stuck in the pick-up line for significant periods of time. Dublin, a two way street, cannot be used without special vigilance due to the pick-up vehicles lined up along one side of the street (making it an unofficial one way street). The pick-up line at times stretches down 1 block of Spruce and two blocks of Dublin. The pick-up vehicles block driveways, stop the normal flow of traffic, and have even rolled over resident garbage cans. Though Stuart Hall said that they have attempted to address the traffic problem previously, we have seen no improvement in the conditions. The above noted traffic problems during the morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up is currently unsafe. We strongly believe that any expansion of the campus and/or increased enrollment will exacerbate these already unsafe traffic conditions in the Carrollton area.

The growth of Stuart Hall has also caused a severe shortage of parking in the community. We experience constant problems finding parking spaces during hours the school functions (day time as well as when the school has weekend or night events). The school’s paved parking area, bounded by the school buildings, is used as a recess and physical education area rather than parking for employees. Please note that currently Stuart Hall has only four parking places on Panola St., which forces most of the school employees and parents of children attending to park along the surrounding streets while at the school. This school related use of parking in the surrounding area prevents residents from being able to park in front of or even close to their own homes. We strongly believe that Stuart Hall’s plans for expansion will compound this currently severe parking situation.

With the growth of Stuart Hall, noise and odor problems have also increased. Throughout the academic year, the children are at school from approximately 7:00 am until after 5:00 pm (after-care programs). Stuart Hall also runs a summer program for its students. During the day, there is usually at least one class in the yard at any given time. When the children are out in the yard they are loud and disruptive. Close residents cannot enjoy quiet afternoons on the porch or sleep late in the morning due to the noise levels experienced year round. The dumpster, situated in the back of the school close to residential homes, spreads the smell of rotting food and miscellaneous other items around a three to four block area, while attracting rodents and other unwanted insects. We strongly believe that the quality of life in our community is detrimentally effected by the noise and garbage odors created by the school. Further expansion of Stuart Hall will compound the noise and odor problems experienced in this community.

Over the last six months, Stuart Hall has purchased four more homes and one parking lot (used as a playground and physical education area). All of the above mentioned property is located on the block of Carrollton between S. Carrollton Ave., Spruce St., Dublin St. and Panola St. (please see map). Stuart Hall proposes to demolish the five homes in their possession to build a gymnasium and an early childhood development center in this community even though the block is zoned as RD-2. To date, we have tolerated and coped with the dangerous traffic situations, difficult parking problem, the noise, and the smell problems created by Stuart Hall. However, we cannot tolerate the increased problems that expansion of the school will cause to our immediate environment and to the Carrollton area. Carrollton is a lovely, unique part of this city and the charm of the homes adds both aesthetic and economic value to the community. We oppose Stuart Hall’s proposed destruction of sound, charming homes in our community, and we want our community to remain residential.

Thank you for your time and attention in this matter. If you have any questions or would like further discussion on any of these matters, please call Flo Blouin, at (504) 866-7231.

Sincerely,

Concerned Carrollton Residents and Community