The charter school that divided loyalties in Alpine has received its final approvalbut may not be built in its original location.

On Monday, the Utah County Health Department sent a letter to the organizers of Mountainville Academy acknowledging the 7-acre proposed site at 365 E. 100 South in Alpine "may be located within a flood plain" but "information was submitted to our office addressing the flood plain issue."

The school's engineers have made recommendations to overcome any flood danger and county engineers agree those recommendations are sufficient, said Terry Beebe of the Utah County Health Department in an interview with the Daily Herald.

To begin building, organizers need only have their site plan drawings and related papers stamped and signed by the school's engineering firm, amend the flood zone area on their grading and drainage plan, and then follow the recommendations of their engineers, according to a letter from Beebe to school organizers, a copy of which was obtained by the Daily Herald.

The letter is addressed to Richard Moss of U.S. Charter Development, the firm which has been contracted to build the school.

In an interview with the Daily Herald, Moss said he had received a copy of the letter but would not begin building the school immediately because organizers may buy new land.

"We are still just looking at different sites," he said. "We want to work with the city in every way we can."

On April 11, Alpine City Council members voted to allow the school after the city's attorney repeatedly told them it was illegal to do otherwise. That was a reversal of a decision by the city's planning commission a week earlier.

As part of the April 11 decision, council members had asked the school to work with the city to find a new location despite the city's approval of the proposed location.

Though the school had considered many locations, several landowners who had not been cooperative before are now apparently willing to negotiate after intervention by the city, Moss said.

Construction on the school could start as late as June 20 and still be completed in time to open this fall, meaning organizers could still take several weeks to negotiate for a new property, Moss said.

When called for comment about the final approval, Lori Robinson, a board member for Mountainville Academy, said no decision had been made about what organizers would do next.

The board expected to meet as soon as today with U.S. Charter Development officials to discuss options, she said.

"We are happy it was approved," she said. "I can say that."

Alpine city engineer Shane Sorenson said the city had no jurisdiction to agree or disagree with the health department's approval of the site.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C1.