The new Western Wayne school to be built in Hamlin was praised Thursday night by one local citizen, for its environmental friendliness.
Katherine Dodge, of Lake Ariel, offered the only public comment at the required hearing, as part of Western Wayne School District’s submittal of project plans to the Pa. Department of Education. “I commend the School Board for their forward thinking for this green building,” she said, adding that she pressed a prior school board to do the same when the high school was to be built, “but it fell on deaf ears.”
She stated we need to do all we can today to promote a sustainable lifestyle and get away from relying on fossil fuels.
Todd Wescott, Project Manager, Burkavage Design Associates, explained the environmental features of the new South Elementary School. He stated that the facility is designed to achieve a “LEED- Silver” certification from the US Green Building Council, allowing the District extra state reimbursement.
Among the environmental aspects is an on-site sewage treatment facility called a Living Machine. This will be housed in a stand-alone greenhouse on site, welcoming students from across the District and beyond for research and education. Dedicated areas in the greenhouse are designed for student projects unrelated to wastewater treatment. Natural biological processes will treat wastewater and can be reused to irrigate sports fields and flush toilets.
Each classroom will be take advantage of sunlight, limiting the use of artificial lighting when it not necessary. Studies show that natural lighting helps students focus and increases their attention spans. Cost-efficient artificial lighting is used, which shuts off when no one is there.
A roof top garden will allow outdoor classroom use.
Building materials use a great deal of recycled material, using material limiting exposure to toxic chemicals.
Ninety geothermal wells, 400 feet deep, will recycle natural heat from the Earth at a constant temperature around 56 degrees. This will heat the building in winter and run air conditioning in summer. This is being funded through a state DEP Energy Harvest Grant.
Low flow plumbing fixtures are used.
Up to 900 students
The 36 acre site that was chosen is just north of Hamlin Corners on the west side of Route 191. It will house up to 900 Students, pre-K through 5th grade, within about 102,000 square feet. Fourth and 5th grade classrooms are on the second floor.
Parking and exit doors will be visible to administrative staff. Students arriving with parents or by van will enter and exit the building from the east through a secure vestibule adjacent to the main office. Students arriving by bus will enter and exit from the west. Two soccer fields, one baseball field and one softball field are planned.
The building core includes a library, gymnasium with locker rooms, a cafeteria/auditorium, two art rooms, a music classroom and two science classrooms. Pre-K and Kindergarten are in their own wing.
Andrew Falonk, Western Wayne Superintendent, said that the District has aimed to phase new building projects 20 years apart, rather than further saddle taxpayers. A few years ago the Board recognized the need to address overcrowding and the age of the Hamlin Elementary and Lake Ariel Elementary schools. Following a feasibility study, a plan was developed to replace both and consolidate into a new facility. The school is expected to be ready for the fall 2009 semester.
Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on the project to the Board Secretary of the Western Wayne School District at P.O. Box 220 South Canaan, PA 18459 until 12 noon, June 9, 2008.
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The new Western Wayne school to be built in Hamlin was praised Thursday night by one local citizen, for its environmental friendliness.
Katherine Dodge, of Lake Ariel, offered the only public comment at the required hearing, as part of Western Wayne School District’s submittal of project plans to the Pa. Department of Education. “I commend the School Board for their forward thinking for this green building,” she said, adding that she pressed a prior school board to do the same when the high school was to be built, “but it fell on deaf ears.”
She stated we need to do all we can today to promote a sustainable lifestyle and get away from relying on fossil fuels.
Todd Wescott, Project Manager, Burkavage Design Associates, explained the environmental features of the new South Elementary School. He stated that the facility is designed to achieve a “LEED- Silver” certification from the US Green Building Council, allowing the District extra state reimbursement.
Among the environmental aspects is an on-site sewage treatment facility called a Living Machine. This will be housed in a stand-alone greenhouse on site, welcoming students from across the District and beyond for research and education. Dedicated areas in the greenhouse are designed for student projects unrelated to wastewater treatment. Natural biological processes will treat wastewater and can be reused to irrigate sports fields and flush toilets.
Each classroom will be take advantage of sunlight, limiting the use of artificial lighting when it not necessary. Studies show that natural lighting helps students focus and increases their attention spans. Cost-efficient artificial lighting is used, which shuts off when no one is there.
A roof top garden will allow outdoor classroom use.
Building materials use a great deal of recycled material, using material limiting exposure to toxic chemicals.
Ninety geothermal wells, 400 feet deep, will recycle natural heat from the Earth at a constant temperature around 56 degrees. This will heat the building in winter and run air conditioning in summer. This is being funded through a state DEP Energy Harvest Grant.
Low flow plumbing fixtures are used.
Up to 900 students
The 36 acre site that was chosen is just north of Hamlin Corners on the west side of Route 191. It will house up to 900 Students, pre-K through 5th grade, within about 102,000 square feet. Fourth and 5th grade classrooms are on the second floor.
Parking and exit doors will be visible to administrative staff. Students arriving with parents or by van will enter and exit the building from the east through a secure vestibule adjacent to the main office. Students arriving by bus will enter and exit from the west. Two soccer fields, one baseball field and one softball field are planned.
The building core includes a library, gymnasium with locker rooms, a cafeteria/auditorium, two art rooms, a music classroom and two science classrooms. Pre-K and Kindergarten are in their own wing.
Andrew Falonk, Western Wayne Superintendent, said that the District has aimed to phase new building projects 20 years apart, rather than further saddle taxpayers. A few years ago the Board recognized the need to address overcrowding and the age of the Hamlin Elementary and Lake Ariel Elementary schools. Following a feasibility study, a plan was developed to replace both and consolidate into a new facility. The school is expected to be ready for the fall 2009 semester.
Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on the project to the Board Secretary of the Western Wayne School District at P.O. Box 220 South Canaan, PA 18459 until 12 noon, June 9, 2008.
School project to cost $22.8 million
SOUTH CANAAN- The Western Wayne School Board has authorized a maximum project cost for the South Elementary School of $22,874,411 and a maximum building construction cost of $17,001,545.
Jamie Shelby of Ferris, Baker Watts, Inc. explained at the hearing May 8th that a general obligation bond issue was found to be the least costly alternative for incurring long-term debt. For each dollar paid by the School District toward principal and interest, the State will reimburse the District 16.02 cents for the project.
The preliminary plan is for the School District to levy the equivalent mills required for financing in the next several years as the debt service for the project comes on line. The District expects to derive its share of debt service from an increase in real estate mills, use of general fund balances, use of interest income and use of existing mills in the budget which will become available as previous bond issues are retired.
An analysis shows the average annual debt service to be $1,996,328. After state reimbursement: $1,676,516. The total mills required would be 1.25, based on the value of one mill being $1,338,000. Annual indirect costs total $257,500, bringing the total direct and indirect costs to $1,934,016 or 1.45 mills.
