The rumored plans for a new Stewart's in Middleburgh have not even gone to the planning board for review, but Middleburgh Central School has already come out against the new location.
Early preliminary plans call for a new Stewart's Shop to be built across the street from its current location and next to the school.
According to the early plans, the former dentist's office, which was heavily damaged in the August 2011 flood, the current NBT Bank, and the former chiropractor's office, are to be torn down. The new store would be built on this location with an NBT Bank in the rear of the new shop. The chiropractor would re-locate to the current Stewart's location.
The plans are expected to go to the Middleburgh planning board in February.
On January 13, school board members received a written schematic drawing of the new proposed Stewart's.
The store would be located adjacent to the high school and Stewart's is seeking a formal easement from the school.
Board members reviewed the plans and are not interested in granting a formal easement, according to Superintendent Michele Weaver.
A representative from Stewart's had been scheduled to attend the January 27 meeting of the school board to make a full presentation of the plans, but no presentation will be made this week, school officials said Monday.
"The district has only one access to the building and for safety/liability/traffic/etc. cannot consider having a common shared drive," Ms. Weaver explained.
School board President Pam Standhart and Ms. Weaver planned on meeting with a Stewart's representative last week.