NORTHWESTERN LEHIGH BUILDING PROJECT
EXPECT YEARLY TAX INCREASES FOREVER
There was a special meeting of the Northwestern Lehigh Board on April 26. the discussion focused on the proposed renovations at the high school. It is separated into 3 parts.
1. New addition, approximately 3500 sq. feet, requires demolishing front of building, moving front wall forward 6 feet by the length of the building. This would provide Secure entry, Administration Suites, Nurse's Suite, Concession Stand, Ticket booth, Public Accessible toilets, Lobby, one classroom, Large group instruction room.
2. Heavy renovations: Locker rooms, Toilet rooms, Trainer area, Music room, Referee Room, 4 classrooms. Heavy renovations are defined as relocation of walls or structures. Nearly all finishes, equipment and systems replaced, ADD accessibility, gender neutral changing and bathroom facilities.
3. Medium renovations, Gymnasium, Auxiliary Gym, Auditorium, main corridor. Gym: new wood flooring, painting walls, new doors and gym equipment. Aux Gym: new doors, paint, new lighting, new wall finishes. Auditorium: new carpet, new fixed seating, new stage floor, new wall finishes. Main Corridor, new floors, ceilings, doors, lockers, painting walls.
Board member Phil Toll suggested an alternative plan that would eliminate the new 3500 sq. ft. addition. He acknowledged that repair and renovation was needed, but questioned the need to expand building. He outlined some options that would provide the needed changes without changing the foundation, brick walls, and roof of building. It was agreed to have a meeting with the architect to explore those options..
There was a discussion of whether this project needed to comply with Act 34 to inform and gather input by the community. The Superintendent and Board President declared that there was no need to inform the public.
That was the basic discussion of this meeting.
It would be a good idea to have this project prices in 3 parts, the cost of this new addition should be priced as to the cost. This addition most likely is a substantial part of this project. The other 2 phases could also be so priced.
I did not see the floors in the Gymnasiums, but this is hardwood flooring that has proved the test of time, this is a minimum of 3/4" flooring, resurfacing and refinishing would most likely be as good or possibly better than a new unproven wood.
A large group instruction room is probably unnecessary, as there is a auditorium and other large spaces available for such gatherings.
The philosophy of the Administration and the new board seems to be spend whatever amount is necessary to provide all that they would like to have, without taking into account the finances of the taxpayers. It definitely appears they will revert back to raising taxes every year far into the future.
The only real solution is to do away with school boards managing the finances of schools, give them control of all other options and let the state fund the schools by spreading out the funding over the whole public not just property owners. This has already happened in some states, and that option has been proposed in Pennsylvania by Act 76.
I don't know that they would be entitled to a variance, they've gotten several. A variance is relief from zoning designed to be the minimum relief necessary, which they've stated and argued for the grant of their several prior expansions. So if they've already received relief as necessary based on the physical land characteristics and zoning, coming back for more kinda negates their argument for the prior grants. http://articles.mcall.com/2000-09-20/news/3315516_1_stormwater-runoff-parking-lot-school-cafeteria. They really need to do better long term planning, or they will just keep coming back every 5 to 6 years, makes one wonder if they really know what they are doing
ReplyDelete"Monday's hearing also dealt with a more serious issue. To reduce the potential for stormwater runoff problems, the township typically permits only 10 percent of the ground at such a site to be impenetrable. The school and its surrounding parking lots already cover 29 percent, said zoners' attorney Eugene Mayberry. . . . With the expansion of the school and its parking lot, 32 percent of the land would be covered, Mayberry said.
ReplyDeleteTownship residents Kermit Delong and Robert Frey raised these stormwater runoff concerns. Delong wanted assurances that more water wouldn't come onto his property as a result of the expanded parking lot."
The runoff will accumulate into Lynn's newly created commercial district across SR309, which now begs for better long term planning, and of course, the highway is already a dangerous commute. Better planning needed!
Like most government entities, they feel that they are exempt from the rules that apply to the average resident.
ReplyDelete