High Court Denies Stay in Appeals Over Chapin High Project

Lexington-Richland 5 School District officials say the South Carolina Supreme Court has denied a request for a stay in the legal appeals concerning Chapin High School.

District 5 school board member Kim Murphy requested a stay in the case to stop the district from proceeding with the project until the wetlands dispute has been resolved.

In an emailed statement to Patch, Murphy said there is still an appeal for the permit for the 401 Water Quality Certification and is asking the district not to proceed with its current plan.

 “We urge the District to refrain from any irreversible damage to the protected headwaters stream in the area of the proposed ball field complex if it chooses to proceed with construction before the Supreme Court has the opportunity to decide this appeal.”  

“There are options for District 5 to begin the needed academic renovations without destroying the stream, but we caution that any damage to it and its forested buffer that ultimately is determined to be unlawful may expose the District to significant costs and penalties."

School district officials say they eliminated one of the three originally proposed fields and the two remaining fields do not touch the stream.

At the district’s for the project, which district officials say could begin before the end of the month.

Earlier this month, of the issuance of a Department of Health and Environmental Control waste water permit.