“The changes will not affect the learning environment,” he said, adding that all those changes fall within state codes and guidelines for such things as reducing the parking area, deleting a retaining wall which he said would be overcome by rerouting drainage and reducing the number of windows in classrooms without reducing the percentage of glass per room.
Superintendent Kelly Spivey opened Tuesday’s meeting by saying the project as agreed upon after the previous meeting was over budget.
“The last time, we agreed on a design, but we were $1 million-plus off,” she said.
In the meantime, she noted, there had been calls and comments about rumors that various design elements had been dropped. One such example was the enclosed courtyard, which has long been a favorite of school staff and citizens taking part in the discussions.
“The courtyard has not been removed,” Jahnigen said. “It is still enclosed. The biggest change is now it’s flat. It’s easier to build, construct, plan and maintain now.”
It will still have the ability to be used for a variety of purposes and educational pursuits but will not be tiered.
That, in fact, was a key to some major savings on the project. The entire Kramer property is sloped in varying degrees and major savings will be realized by cutting down on the amount of earth that will need to be moved for construction.
“One of the most expensive areas of construction is moving dirt,” Jahnigen said.
The new building will be slightly reconfigured into more of a one-story structure with a second floor on only one hallway, which will take advantage of the largest slope on the site and reduce the amount of dirt being moved.
Asked about the site’s slope, he said the flattest portion is where the current building sits, which is why it was placed there originally. That part of the site is not feasible because it will remain in use until the new building opens and then it will be torn down.
Another major savings was realized by switching from geothermal for heating and cooling to a boiler/chiller system.
“Geothermal was a tough decision, but I respect the budget,” Jahnigen said.
He explained that change was a major factor in affecting plans to design the building to earn LEED platinum status but cuts will allow for silver status, instead.
District treasurer Mike Davis explained that the new high school building uses geothermal but it was purchased in a “buyer’s market” and said it is now a “seller’s market” which would make the initial cost more expensive for this project. Jahnigen added both systems have pros and cons and one advantage of the chiller/boiler system is that it heats or cools more quickly in the morning to get temperatures to appropriate levels.
Discussion turned to exterior colors and surfaces and Jahnigen brought some samples. Many favored some more color on several outside areas, particularly the gym which rises above the adjacent roofline. He said it is still possible to decide colors, although many design elements need to be finalized for drawings to begin after the first of the year.
Jahnigen will give a brief update on plans for the Kramer design project at the Monday, Dec. 15, Board of Education meeting.
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