Pinecrest Academy Approved for Construction of Second Entrance

Pinecrest Academy, a private PreK3-12 Catholic school in Forsyth County, announces the construction of a second entrance into the school’s 68-acre campus. A project that has been on the drawing board for several years is finally coming to fruition, providing additional safety and convenience to families, students and visitors.

Currently, visitors enter and exit campus via one main entrance along Peachtree Parkway, just south of the Majors Road and Peachtree Parkway intersection. The new second entrance will be at the intersection of Peachtree Parkway and Stoney Point Road, where there is an existing traffic light.

“The addition of this second entrance into Pinecrest Academy has been a longtime dream and top priority for years,” commented Mark Doxtader, Pinecrest Academy Chairman of the Board of Trustees. “Having access to Peachtree Parkway at the light ending on Stoney Point Road will not only allow for better access to and from this busy road, but will, more importantly, allow us to keep our student drivers, families, and faculty safer when entering and exiting campus.”

Construction of the road began in early June 2023. Barring weather delays, the school’s construction committee anticipates the project to conclude during the fall semester of the 2023-2024 school year.

Fundraising for the road project officially kicked off at Pinecrest Academy’s March 2022 Gala via an initiative called “Legacy Lane,” with the goal of completing the project debt-free. The project was two-pronged, as cutting in the road required a playground to be relocated and one of the school’s modular buildings to be removed.

“Pinecrest Academy families, faculty, staff, and benefactors showed remarkable, mission-driven generosity, allowing us to raise a total of 1.2 million dollars from over 100 donors,” commented Jake Rodgers, Pinecrest Academy Head of School.

“The significance of this project for our community is immense. Not only does it reflect our commitment to safety by allowing our families, employees and visitors to utilize a turn signal to access Peachtree Parkway, but it is also inspiring to envision the generations of future Pinecrest families who will travel that road each day to have their lives impacted by our mission and our community.”

By early October 2022, more than eighty percent of Pinecrest’s original fundraising goal had been met. Phase one of the project was successfully completed in November 2022. The remainder of the fundraising was completed by February of 2023.

Doxtader, Rodgers, and the Pinecrest Academy Construction committee have been working in tandem with Forsyth County on zoning, permitting, and planning for phase two of the Legacy Lane project. Pinecrest families were surveyed last summer to gain data on how the community travels to and from campus each day. The school worked with a civil engineer to determine and finalize the traffic pattern for the new entrance.

In early February 2023, the school received approval from the County to name the new road “Pinecrest Academy Way”. A final permit to break ground on the project was granted by the County in May 2023.

“We are grateful to the amazing staff at Forsyth County, as well as all of our volunteers and benefactors who allowed this dream to come true,” said Doxtader.

Pinecrest Academy contracted with Wofford Earthworks for construction of the road, which is expected to take roughly three months to complete. The timing of completion coincides with Pinecrest Academy’s thirtieth anniversary year, marking a significant milestone for the school.

“As God’s providence would have it, a project that has been on our wish list for many years is coming to fruition during our thirtieth anniversary year,” commented Rodgers.