LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Kroger proposal is the best alternative

7/4/2015

 

I find it troubling that Blade columnist Keith C. Burris did not contact the Sisters of Notre Dame or Notre Dame Academy before he concluded what should be done with our property in his June 25 commentary, “Civic pride sometimes means ‘no’”.

The voice of one parent he referred to certainly doesn’t represent the sentiments of many other parents, school employees, and school administrators. They see a win-win in the privacy and safety measures Kroger will put in place to preserve and protect the student-centered activities on the west side of the campus.

Click here to submit a letter to the editor

Currently, open access from Sylvania Avenue to the intersection of Secor Road and the I-475 ramps encourages people on foot to use Notre Dame Academy and Maria Early Learning Center property as a cut-through. That is a risky situation for both institutions.

As part of the plans to ensure privacy and increase safety, Kroger intends to create a five-foot landscaped mound with a seven-foot fence on top extending from the sound barrier walls of I-475 to Monroe Street. I see this as decreasing risk to our young people on this campus.

The Sisters of Notre Dame, the administration, and the Notre Dame Academy board of trustees would not be in favor of selling to Kroger if we had misgivings about campus safety.

Mr. Burris asks whether we have considered the alternatives. The leadership of the Sisters of Notre Dame carefully considered creative ideas and alternative proposals full of contingencies before the purchase and sale agreement with Kroger was signed.

Notre Dame Academy has invested more than $2 million in the renovation and modernizing of our facility and 20-acre campus green space over the past three years. We look forward to welcoming Kroger as a neighbor, and working with its representatives to continue providing a safe and welcoming environment to the neighborhood and city.

SISTER MARY ANN CULPERT

President

Notre Dame Academy and Notre Dame Junior Academy

West Sylvania Avenue