In order to clear up confusion and misinformation, here is a statement from the Board regarding the Carlisle property.
Mountainville Academy purchased the Carlisle property in September 2022. It was purchased PRIMARILY to protect the school from commercial and residential development on Main Street. Previously, it was on the market for over a year with no interest from the city or other parties now advocating for the property.
From October 2022 until November 2023 we established a special committee to look at proposed uses for the Carlisle property. This included asking parents for their input. At the end of this process it was determined that the house would not be functional for the school, and a new STEM building to further our current offering and support STEM activities in Utah County was desired.
Demolition was planned for November 2023, but was halted by request from Alpine residents and school parents to provide a pause to look at alternative solutions. From November 2023 until May 2024, we have analyzed alternative site options for a STEM building (including impact to the students, cost/benefit, facilities and parking). We have reviewed and submitted letters of intent to/from Alpine City, private buyers, and the Friends of the Alpine City Library. We have analyzed timing, risk, and our fiduciary and liability responsibilities as Board members.
For months now, we've made it clear to the community and the city that we would sell the property in order to preserve the Carlisle house for the community. We didn't want to sell it just for some other party to do whatever they want with the house and land. In order to protect the house, we required that a deed restriction be put on the property to restrict the use to only be for public use (library, museum, etc.). Unfortunately, no party accepted this restriction to protect the house and land. For these reasons, the MVA board made the decision to continue forward with our plans for the school.
As board members, we are "responsible for successfully ensuring the academic and personal excellence of the students of Mountainville Academy (MA), that the school's programs and operation are faithful to the terms of its charter, and that the school is a viable organization." Our decision has been made in accordance with the best interest of the school.
We are working with the Friends of the Alpine Library to preserve select items from the Carlisle home for use in a future building (using funds raised by the Friends of the Alpine Library).
In addition, we anticipate that our STEM building design will match the look and feel of Mountainville Academy, adding to the charm of Alpine while being safe, usable and benefitting our students and the greater community.
We appreciate the efforts made by all parties to work through this process in a cordial and respectful way.
Regards, The Mountainville Academy Board