BELLVILLE — The Clear Fork Schools district got a look at the proposed design for two elementary buildings during the most recent school board meeting.
Architects revealed the “footprint” of a school in Butler and Bellville. The designs permit construction with minimal interruption of the existing schools during the school year. Officials suggest the building projects are “still on track” to be completed by August of 2018.
Kathy Trejo, from the architectural and engineering firm Garmann Miller, explained details of the preliminary designs for Clear Fork board members. The design includes separate driveways for buses and cars during school hours with enough room for “stacking” cars during drop-off and pick up times.
The proposal for Butler elementary calls for a one-story design facing College Street. The new building will be constructed beside, and slightly behind, the current facility. The fate of the old building is not yet clear.
Bellville’s site has been tricky for planners due to the proximity of a “flood way,” a steep hill, and the current school building. Board members said they favored a two story split-level design built into the hill, out of the flood way with access for cars at the front of the building and busses at the rear.
A gym and auditorium, possible a “cafetorium,” will be located on the lower level.
Part of the “footprint” of the new Bellville building would rest on the current gym and boiler room. Trejo said the construction could occur in phases, waiting until summer to take down the existing gym after the school year. The Bellville building is expected to be demolished.
This “phasing” plan would permit students to remain in the existing Bellville facility during construction of the new building. This likely eliminates transferring Bellville students to another space during construction. Moving students to another location was a concern for the district because of costs associated with what they called “swing space.”
Trejo said that a more detailed floor plan for each site would be available next month.
The floor plan will show how the square footage, calculated largely by the OFC, can be utilized. Planners sought input from staff and the public in recent weeks. Teachers and staff recently visited eight other recently constructed schools in the area to get a firsthand impression of building design.
Photos of key building features visited by the staff were shown to the public during a meeting on Nov. 3.
Eight small groups were formed to review the district’s needs and pass on their ideas to architects. These groups include technology, arts & music, interior finishes and color selection, academics, history preservation, special education needs and a site and playground group.
Ultimately, it will be a balance of budget, Ohio Facilities Commission (OFC) guidelines, and design.
Board president Jim DeSanto said the designs are still in the discussion phase. Design tweaks the board is currently interested in addressing are additional parking and ensuring they have adequate drop off space.
Voters approved the project overwhelmingly last March, with community input strongly favoring two buildings.
