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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-10-03 adjOctober 3, 1988 (Adjourned Meeting) (Page 1) 577 An adjourned meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Albemarle County, Virginia, was held on October 3, 1988, at 8:00 A.M., Rooms 5/6, County Office Building, Charlottesville, Virginia, this meeting being adjourned from Septem- ber 21, 1988. PRESENT: Messrs. Edward H. Bain, Jr., F. R. Bowie, C. Timothy Lindstrom, Walter F. Perkins and Peter T. Way. ABSENT: Mrs. Patricia H. Cooke. OFFICERS PRESENT: County Executive, Guy B. Agnor, Jr., and County Attorney, George R. St. John. Agenda Item No. 1. The meeting was called to order at 8:05 A.M. by the Chairman, Mr. Way. This meeting was a joint meeting with the School Board. Members of the School Board present were: Messrs. Charles S. Armstrong, William W. Finley, Clifford W. Haury, Forrest R. Marshall, Charles S. Martin, Charles R. Tolbert and Mrs. Sharon Wood (arrived at 8:13 A.M.). Agenda Item No. 2. Summary of School Openings, Mr. Andy Overstreet, Superintendent of Schools, handed out a sheet of statistics summarizing enrollment by grade, and by school. He said there were 9,429 students on the tenth day, 37 more than estimated. There was no change in enrollment pat- terns. The enrollment at Meriwether Lewis was up more than expected. Agenda Item No. 3. Crozet Elementary Replacement School, discussion of plans for. Mr. Bob Moje, of the firm of Vickery Moje Drinkard Oakland, Architects, was present. He made a verbal and pictoriallpresentation of the plans for the new school. He described the site and explained how the building had been designed to fit the site with the least amount of grading work. Mr. Lindstrom inquired about the general configuration of the building and asked if it would not be more economical ~to build without the classroom wing curvature and the courtyard between the 'two building segments. Mr. Moje responded by describing heating, cooling, ventilating requirements and state requirements necessitating the need to use oBtside light and ventilation in the various rooms. He noted that the buildihg had been designed so that it can be expanded in the future. Mr. Way asked if spaces such as the library may be expanded to accommo- date a library for a larger school. Mr. Moje~i said the library is generously sized. Also the building has been designed s6 that the different parts - gymnasium, administrative/classrooms, cafeter~ia/stage- can be used separately at night for school or community functions. Mr. Lindstrom questioned the circular st~pe of the library and the need for the conical roof on that section. Mr. Moje said the library ceiling is four feet higher than in other portions. It is a large space and a proper amount of volume is needed for a feeling of comfort in the room. Mr. Lindstrom said the roof, to him, looks imperial. Mr. Bowie said neither Stone Robinson nor Stony Point elementary schools have a higher ceiling in the library areas. This will be the only school .in the county with a raised roof. Mr. Moje said the library is planned to be us&d for many uses because there are no other spaces in the building which arei large enough to accommodate a large group. Mr. Lindstrom asked about the schedule for this building project. Mr. Moje said the project was to have started a y~ar earlier. The schedule has been moved to start in the Spring of 1989, bef..under construction for a year, and open in the Fall of 1990. The preliminar~ plans have been approved by the State. Mr. Lindstrom asked if the School Board %as looked at alternative designs and costs of same. Mr. Tolbert said the SchoOl Board has not, but the commit- tee looked at others. Actually, until the deJign of the building gets to this point, it is hard to come up with a cost estimate. An independent estimate of 578 October 3, 1988 (Adjourned Meeting) (Page 2) the cost could be obtained at this time, but there would be a cost attached to that. Mr. Moje was asked if the curvature of the back of the building was much more costly to build than a rectangular shape, and Mr. Moje said he felt it would be as cheap to build that way. Mr. Finley asked if the building were not built in the proposed shape if it would leave more room on the site for future expansion. Mr. Moje said there are other designs, but they feel this is the best design for the site. He had expected the budget to be an issue, but when they design a building, they do what is felt to be the best building for the program in that building. They try to design the most economical building for the 40 or 50 years of use, and it may not be the most economical on the day of the bid opening. Mr. Moje described some changes that could be made in the building, and Mr. Bowie said they were "theatrical" cuts, not items which are meaningful. Mr. Perkins said that all those present could argue about the design, but none really know if there are any costs savings which can be realized. He suggested that the bidding be on the design shown, and on a design with an elimination of the inner circle. Mr. Lindstrom said he would be curious to know the cost of a building with a "conventional" design. Costs from some locality where the people are not so oriented to the more modern designs. Also, if limitations on this site are driving the cost up, that is an item that should be t~ken into considera- tion on future projects. ~ Mr. Perkins said this meeting should have been held Six months ago. He feels this project is too far along to do anything now since a change would most likely delay the project a year. ~ Mr. Bowie said he has a problem with the roof, and i~ is money that does not have to be spent. He feels there are places where mo~ey can be saved without hurting the school facility at all. Mr. Tolbert said if some people are interested in se~ing a library designed as a square and with a flat roof, he thinks the School Board can obtain a price on such a design. However, he thinks that if the library space has been designed with a pitched roof, there would have been no question about the ceiling height. ~ Mr. Lindstrom said the question always comes down to ~one of "we should have met six months ago". This process dictates that the design of the architect be taken. This is based on a design that can't ~be compared to another facility, and it is happening everywhere, not jus~ in Albemarle County. He feels there must be some conventional design ~hat meets all state codes, and he would like to know the cost of such a desig~~. He thinks the people in the community who pay for the building will wonder how much extra the design cost. He thinks it would be appropriate, befo~ any more buildings are built, to find out what a basic building costs. Mr. Marshall said the School Board must answer to the public, so the committee and staff members all must have input, He does not think they can do anything better than they are doing now. Mr. Overstreet said the process can be lengthened. Mr. Lindstrom suggested that plans for the new southern regional school be more conventional. Mr. Overstreet said this conversation points out that the site may need to be chosen using additional criteria. !Design of the building has not been used in the selection of a site. Mr~.~ Marshall said the School Board already knows what position it will be in enrollment wise if the school does not open in 1990. Mr. Bowie said he would like to know what a basic, regtangular school which will hold 600 pupils can be built for, and that shoutd be known before site selection. Mr. Tolbert said a professional estimator'!could be hired, at a price, to come up with a cost. If the architects are just told to come up with a plain and simple building, it may be too plain and S!imple. He asked if the Board is concerned with site selection, or the cost pe~ square foot. Mr. Lindstrom said it is the total cost of the building. He s~id that Mr. Moje said that because of State requirements, this design makes '~Sense, but Mr. Lindstrom does not have anything to compare this design witih when comparing it to other school buildings being built in the State of Virginia today. October 3, 1988 (Adjourned Meeting) (Page 3) 579 Mr. Way said the School Board could see if there might be a significant cost difference by lowering the ceiling height in the library, and the other things that had been mentioned. Mr. Overstreet said the architects can be asked to evaluate the changes suggested and what the cost savings might be. If a report is ready in less than a month he will have it distributed, or have it presented at the next joint meeting. Agenda Item No. 3. Executive Session: Personnel. At 9:18 A.M., Mr. Way asked for a motion to adjoin into executive session with the School Board to discuss personnel matters and property acquisition. Such a motion was offered by Mr. Bowie and seconded by Mr. Bain. There was no discussion. Roll was called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: NAYS: ABSENT: Messrs. Bain, Bowie, Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. None. Mrs. Cooke. A similar motion was offered and approved by the School Board. The Board reconvened into open session at 10:00 A.M. It was noted that the next joint meeting will be held on October 24, 1988. Agenda Item No. 4. Adjourn. With no further business to come before the Board at this time, the meeting was adjourned. i - - Chapman /