Community Response Buchanan Elementary December 13, 2016
SITE EVALUATION FOLLOWING INITIAL COMMUNITY INPUT BUCHANAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Design Concepts for the new Buchanan Elementary School have been shared in public meetings with the School District of Lancaster School Board, a public meeting held in the Lincoln Middle School Library on October 5, 2016 and in a presentation to the Lancaster Township Planning Commission October 18, 2016. At these meetings the in-progress design documents including a master plan for the site, a site plan for the Buchanan project, building floor plans resulting from faculty and administrative team input and initial massing studies were shared and community input gathered. Copies of the drawings that were presented follow. Master Plan Presented at October Meetings with location for Buchanan and potential location for future Wheatland Middle School. 2
Original Proposed Site Plan and Building Configuration Site Plan presented at October meetings indicating the extent of construction that would be included in the Buchanan project. Corresponding building floor plans presented at October Meetings. 3
New Building Advantages Buchanan Pre K Classroom Space Shared Spaces for Each Grade General Accessible School / Elevator Safe Access from Parent/Bus Drop Code Compliant Building Energy Efficient Building Envelope Air Conditioning Secure Entry Secure Classroom/Admin Wing During Community /Evening Use Large Group Instruction Space For Community Use Cafeteria out of Basement Dedicated PTO Room Larger Stage 4
Sloped Roof Concept Sloped Roof Option The sloped roof design was preferred by attending community and faculty. This is a more traditional building design and will be developed based on feedback. Cost Estimate First Costs for the sloped roof option are estimated to be $430,000 more than a flat roof design. Maintenance for HVAC rooftop units and EPDM roof life will add costs to the flat roof option over time. Preferred massing study as presented in October community and Planning Commission meetings. 5
Flat Roof Concept Flat Roof Option This more contemporary design was presented as an option, but was not favored by the majority of the attending community and faculty. Cost Estimate First Costs estimated to be $430,000 less than a flat roof design. HVAC rooftop units and EPDM roof life will add costs to the flat roof option over time. Contemporary massing study as presented in October community and Planning Commission meetings. 6
Other Site Options Option 2 Locate on existing athletic field Sites Explored for Buchanan Project Following community input, the team reevaluated the previously explored site options for locating the new Buchanan ES. Option 1 Locate at existing site Option 3 Locate off of Hamilton Park Drive Site Options This overall campus view depicts sites explored for the Buchanan ES project. 7
New Building or Renovate Why New Building vs Renovate? After a full school appraisal of the existing Buchanan ES building and site, with the school scoring borderline to poor category, it was recommended to replace the school with a new school. List of major challenges with Existing Building Existing building is not easily adaptable to current programming needs/requirements Building envelope not efficient Current vehicular traffic congestion unresolved Multiple levels challenging accessibility design for building and site Restricted site Parking limited for faculty Masonry load-bearing interior walls do not allow for flexibility in room planning Exterior of building deteriorating Hazardous materials to abate Renovate Buchanan on Existing Buchanan Site 8
Site Options Option 1 Placing a New Buchanan ES on the existing site Existing Site Pro s Maintains existing building location Maintains land in current configuration across Hamilton Park Drive Existing Site Con s Congested traffic Storm water challenges & costs Softball field eliminated Grading and accessibility challenges Pedestrian & vehicular conflicts Building layout challenges Longer construction duration No swing space for current students If building is placed on current site, swing space for future renovations is lost New Buchanan on Existing Buchanan Site 9
Site Options Option 2 Placing a New Buchanan ES on the existing Wheatland track site Wheatland Track Site Pro s Closer to existing school location Allows existing school to remain for swing space Wheatland Track Site Con s Congested traffic More traffic through Hamilton Park neighborhood Storm water challenges Costly access drive improvements Cost to replace track could be avoided Open space for track and parking is still required Softball field is lost Pedestrian / vehicular conflicts New building faces back of Wheatland MS vs public street If existing school to remain for swing space, it will further exacerbate traffic issues New Buchanan on Existing Wheatland Track Site 10
Community Meeting Summary Buchanan Community Meeting Wednesday, October 5 th at Wheatland MS Summary of concerns: Transportation to the new school location Future use of the current site Best location of the new Buchanan site Sufficiency of the communication process to the community members Educational Green Space City Water Tower Lancaster County Open Space Requirements
Recommended Site Location Option 3 This design further develops the design and angles the classroom wing to fit the site setback lines with a two story classroom wing. The Pre-K classrooms are located next to the drop-off loop and a welcoming community entry was added to the south end of the building near the main parking area. Concept E Pro s Uses less open space Little interference with wooded areas Lower costs for site work More urban siting of the building that creates a streetscape face along Hamilton Park Drive Allows existing school to remain for swing space Allows existing track and fields to remain in use Bus drop off along Hamilton Park Drive provides better circulation and reduces pavement area/cost New Buchanan Option 3 Tight to Hamilton Park Drive Concept E Con s Longest distance from existing school Uses open space 12
Site Cost Comparison Site Option Description Site Cost Only Notes Option 1 Existing Buchanan Site $ 2,895,809 Includes demo of building, Classroom rental for one year (loss of swing space for other school renovations), added general conditions Option 2 Original Master Plan Option 3 Master Plan Existing Wheatland Track Site $ 3,744,260 Concept B Site Plan $ 2,623,525 Concept E Site Plan $ 2,503,307 Site Cost Comparison To evaluate the site options based on costs, the project civil engineer produced cost estimates for the various site options. In addition to the other challenges of building on one of the existing sites, the cost of site work on the track site and the existing Buchanan site exceed the costs of building on the open parcel across from existing Wheatland MS. Option 3 results in cost savings from the original plan because the total area of land disturbed is lessened by consolidating the building and site elements. 13
Master Site Plan Master Plan with Current Design This design further develops the Concept E Design while looking at a potential future Wheatland MS on the same portion of the campus. Future Master Plan Maximizing open space by pulling new buildings tight to Hamilton Park Drive Creates urban view from lower elevations at Maple Avenue Provides safe transportation loops for parent and bus drop off Safe pedestrian access to new buildings Athletic complex with adequate parking Note: Footprint shown for proposed Wheatland MS is the proposed Lincoln MS plan as of Nov. 2016. Master Plan Campus New Buchanan ES and New Wheatland MS 14
Walking & Biking Feasibility Walking & Bike Paths Potential utilization of a paper alley along West End Avenue could provide a walking and bike path for many students to get to the proposed schools Safe walking and bike paths from the Hamilton Park neighborhood onto campus Sidewalks from Millersville Pike for MS students walking to campus Safe walking and bike path through athletic fields to proposed schools Walking and biking on Master Plan Campus New Buchanan ES and New Wheatland MS 15
Green Space Maximization Green Space Maximization Plan By bringing the buildings close to Hamilton Park Drive, the open space is maximized. The development footprint for Buchanan ES reduced use of open space by 2 acres from the original proposed site plan. Open space is also expanded on the former Wheatland Middle School footprint Master Plan Campus New Buchanan ES and New Wheatland MS 16
Transportation & Walkability Impact The attached map shows the current and future walk zones for Buchanan. Buchanan at its current location has 300 walkers. The new proposed site shows 298 walkers. The numbers of walkers are based on current enrollment. No change in projected transportation costs based on the current enrollment. Balanced concentration of students between the old and proposed site locations. Proposed site location