Many residents who spoke at the meeting supported the sale for financial reasons and said board members shouldn’t be considering the impact to the controversial Novus development.

“Whatever their opinions may be of the development, that development is outside of the board’s purview when considering this vote,” Jennifer Yarrington told the school board.

Still, some residents who spoke said the district might need the building should enrollment pick back up. Board Vice President Chelsea Addison, who voted against the surplus designation, said it could be “shortsighted” to sell it.

“I believe that this land and building are of value and will increase in value as well,” she said.

Browne said that some of the opposition might have “had more to do with the development than School Board business.”

Addison sat on the TIF Commission that reviewed the plan as one of two school district representatives and voted in favor of the TIF last year. (The other School Board member on the TIF Commission, Lisa Brenner, also endorsed the plan and supported declaring McNair surplus.)

School Board President Kristine Hendrix, who opposed declaring the property surplus, said she felt the vote stuck to the surplus property issue.