The meeting opened with discussion on ideas that were brought forth to the committee members after the open forum. Such options included talking about the empty McKinley building and using that as an additional school building. There were members of the committee who know the building well, and that it needs work. The other drawback the committee felt was the disconnect of having two different sites. Other ideas were brought forth on reducing the cost and were discussed by the committee.
There was discussion about an idea that has been brought up at the high school level, about having a middle school out at the MLHS campus.
One of the options the committee has come up with and is exploring is remodeling the current locker rooms and bathrooms along with the coat room downstairs in the current school building. With this option, we can eliminate the need for new bathrooms in the lower level of the addition. As of this writing, all options we are considering include remodeling this area. During Christmas break this year, the current boys’ locker room developed an issue where we have water coming up through the floor. This is due to a bust in the water main. This obviously needs to be addressed, and maybe this is the time to go forward with that, as insurance money may be available, and there will be busting up of concrete in order to fix the pipes underneath the building.
Discussion was had on our needs and if the options we are considering meet the goals and needs of the school. The committee determined that all of our options meet our needs, but we need verification of some things from the architect before we can narrow our options down.
Questions to the architect will include: how much room do we need for a turnaround in the upper parking lot that would allow drop-off for church and an easy way back out to Pine street? Also, why would expanding to the north of the gym be so expensive?
Next meeting was scheduled for January 19th at 6pm.
January 6th, Answers to our questions
The architect responded with answers to our questions, including answers to the above two questions.
A turnaround will require a 54’ wide area. With his current proposal, there would be room for a turnaround if we did not add a passageway from the new addition to the church, but there would not be room if there was a passageway there.
Costs of adding to the north of the gym: The existing school would have to be sprinklered, including the gym. Also, the structure of the north wall of the gym would have to be increased to take the expansion. This would be additional steel, footings and foundations. We would also have to analyze the building and roof for removal of the north wall as it relates to the wind loads and roof diaphragm to see if that is adequate.