Grandview area secondary school FAQ

Transcription

1 Grandview area secondary school FAQ Design Are there savings involved in using a repeat design? Although the Grandview area secondary school is not a complete repeat design, it has elements that are repeated from other schools recently completed by the design team. There are four main reasons to repeat a design: Functionality. The SD36 Senior Education Team have reviewed the original school that the repeat is based on, like how it operates, and that it supports current and future education delivery. Price certainty. Time savings. A repeat design can produce tender-ready drawings faster and therefore can be delivered a few months quicker than a one-of-a-kind school. It s a known quantity. Repeat designs give the opportunity for SD36 staff to walk through the original school and discuss potential improvements. Repeat designs still require time for site-specific adjustments and construction review, among other considerations. For mechanical, a slight change in orientation of the building means that all the mechanical design calculations need to be redone. Likewise, structural design depends on site-specific soil conditions and requires unique calculations. Are there any special sustainable design principles in this building? Yes, the Grandview area secondary school will have the following sustainable design features, just to name a few: LED lighting (including the theatre) Displacement ventilation and high efficiency condensing boilers Storm detention to retain storm water on the site and mitigate flows into the city storm water system The building is also oriented to take advantage of natural daylight and views for occupant comfort. Is this a LEED building? SD36 is working with Fortis and BC Hydro on the New Buildings Program. New schools in Surrey are designed to meet LEED Gold or an equivalent rating. The design of the school looks expensive. Will this cost more than a regular school? All schools must meet the Ministry of Education Area Standards and Unit Rates. Two schools can cost the same but look very different. SD36 aims to build beautiful, inspiring, cost-effective schools.

2 Does the layout of the classrooms provide a conducive learning environment for students? The SD36 Design & Construction department works extensively with teachers and senior education staff to ensure the schools meet the requirements of the new curriculum and have flexibility to address both current and future modes of teaching and learning. Will there be sufficient parking at the school to prevent students from taking up spaces at the Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre? SD36 has worked with the City of Surrey to establish an ideal parking count for secondary schools based on similar schools and in light of the graduated licensing program. Construction Why will it take 44 months from now to build the new Grandview area secondary school for the target opening date of September 2020? The biggest challenge will be securing the offsite services for the new Grandview area secondary school. Once servicing and the scope of work required by SD36 is confirmed, the application process can begin for permits: Tree-Cutting; Erosion & Sediment Control; and building permits. Until servicing is confirmed, any and all permits will not proceed through the City of Surrey s review process. Once the tender is awarded, construction will take at least two years. Secondary schools are much more complex than they used to be, with systems that need to be fine-tuned and properly balanced. Filling a 1,500-student school with chairs, tables, computers, books, shop equipment, appliances, science lab instruments and more will take time. Environmental Is there a conscious effort to save as many trees on site as possible? Yes, we are working closely with an arborist to move the school and parking to avoid disrupting existing significant trees. We believe in saving healthy trees where we can. Will any wildlife habitat be disrupted, and if so, what measures are SD36 taking to address this? There is an informal wildlife corridor through this area. SD36 hopes to fell trees before nesting season. If we miss the window, we will either wait until August or hire a raptor consultant to help us move nests. Our preference is not to fell trees during the nesting season.

3 Transportation Will 26 th Avenue be widened as a result of this development? 26 th Avenue will be widened on the south side of the street and for the width of the school site only. Generally, the City of Surrey requires developers (SD36 included) to build the ultimate curb line, sidewalks, street trees, fill in the ditch, etc. on the school side of the road, similar to the Pacific Heights Elementary frontage. The north side of the road will not likely be improved until it is rezoned and developed in the future. Will there be access to the new Grandview area secondary school from 26 th Avenue? In the current design, only maintenance vehicles and emergency vehicles will be able to access the school from 26 th Avenue. The main entrance to the school will be on 25 th Avenue. Capacity Instead of allocating space for future use of portables, why not build a bigger school? Portables allow the district flexibility to accommodate enrolment growth that eventually levels off or disappears after another new school opens, as the neighbourhood matures, or a program is moved. To over-build beyond a sustained student population is not good use of taxpayer funds. Historically, as neighbourhoods mature, the enrolment drops and portables can be relocated to another site(s) to address a short-term spike in enrolment, or be used for temporary accommodation. What is the catchment area for the new Grandview area secondary school? The catchment area of the new Grandview area secondary school will be reviewed and determined through a public consultation process, similar to the process the district embarked on for École Salish Secondary. Services Will changeroom and washroom facilities be available in the school for after hours and weekend playing field events? That is the intent. We anticipate the City of Surrey may provide a small fieldhouse containing washrooms for the city playing fields that will be located on city land between the new secondary school and the existing Pacific Heights Elementary. Will there be lighting for the playing fields? The playing fields will not be lit and there is no provision to provide lighting in the future.

4 Will servicing (water, sewer, electrical) only go through the maintenance entrance at 26 th Avenue? Services may run the full length of the school site. SD36 is working through servicing requirements with the City of Surrey. Sanitary and water will come in just east of the 26 th Avenue driveway. Water connection for the fields may come into the site between the two fields. Storm drainage will travel both east and west from the site: east will connect to a larger detention pond on city land between the two school sites; storm drainage to the west will link into 168 th Street along 26 th Avenue. Sewer for Pacific Heights Elementary will eventually travel west from the front of Pacific Heights all the way to 168 th Street. Accessibility With a projected enrolment of 1,500, one elevator is inadequate to access the second and third floors for students, staff and visitors with mobility limitations. Will a second elevator be added to the design? The design team will take a look at the viability of adding a second elevator at the east end of the threestorey classroom block. Likewise, only three parking spots are designated for people with mobility limitations, and no provision for specialized vehicles. Will more spots be added to the design? We will consider a greater number of accessible parking spots in addition to a couple of dedicated parking spots for specialized vehicles. The Future What other new elementary are secondary schools is SD36 planning on building in Grandview Heights? We have two sites in Grandview for future schools and will be pursuing land purchase in the area for future Neighbourhood Concept Plans as they come up. Currently, Edgewood Drive Elementary is the top priority in the SD36 Capital Plan. The school will have capacity for 525 Grade 1-7 students and 80 Kindergarteners, with a neighbourhood learning centre. The recent capital announcement of $217 million from the province will allow SD36 to forge ahead with development of this much needed new school.

5 What measures are SD36 taking to ensure the district can keep up with the ongoing population growth in Surrey? In response to rapid growth, the Ministry of Education, Partnerships BC and SD36 will establish a Surrey Project Office dedicated to design and construction of new space (new schools and additions) as well as seismic upgrades. What are the plans for the property at the corner of 26 th Avenue and 168 th Street? The property was sold to a private land holder. We understand that while it was marketed as residential, the City of Surrey is not likely to approve residential development on the corner. What are the plans for the property between the new Grandview area secondary school site and Pacific Heights Elementary? The property is owned by the Parks Board there are no specific plans for its use. The City of Surrey s Parks, Recreation and Culture department will engage the community in a planning process for these lands in the near future.