Email From Joseph DeRosa AIA, Project Manager, Division of Construction, Montgomery County Public Schools
To all community and BFES FAC committee members:
At the Beverly Farms ES (BFES) June 24, 2010 community meeting presentation, new BFES community members and HOA representative from Regency Estates Citizens Association and Montgomery Square Citizen Association were in attendance. The 6-24-2010 site plan was presented by Muse Architects and the following design issues were discussed; new Storm Water Management (SWM) features and the locations of newly located retaining walls that will be required at the rear of the bus loop to the western portion of the site and at the rear of the school along the paved play areas. As explained at the meeting, the retaining walls will be needed to address the grade changes at the rear of the property. The community members in attendance raised concerns regarding the retaining wall heights and the length of the bus loop. After extensive discussion, the community members requested that the architect investigate the possibility of reducing the length of the bus loop and reducing the height of the retaining walls to address their concerns.
MCPS staff directed Muse Architects to explore the possibility of reducing the length of the bus loop and reducing the height of the retaining walls in response to the concerns raised by the community members, prior to the Board of Education presentation of the preliminary plans, which is scheduled for July 8, 2010. Because of the limited time before the Board of Education meeting, MCPS agreed to provide the community members with a revised site plan and perspective drawing of the school along the bus loop prior to the July 8, 2010 meeting, via electronic mail.
In response to the community concerns raised at the June 24, FAC Committee meeting regarding the new retaining walls and the request for the reduction of the bus loop length, a meeting was held with MCPS/ DOC staff, Muse Architects, and Mr. James Song, director, Department of Facilities Management to review the revised site design. Attached for your review is the proposed revised site plan dated July 2, 2010 which reduces the bus loop length by 36’-0” and retains the 38 parking spaces. I also have attached for your comparison the 6-24-2010 site plan as presented at the FAC committee Community meeting on 6-24-2010. Please note that the new retaining walls height on the revised site plan will be approximately 3’-0” high as it curves around the rear of the bus loop, and reach approximately 4’-0” maximum height at its highest point. (Please note: Heights on the retaining walls are approximate heights and may change as the design progresses.) In addition to the site plans, I have attached (below) the new perspective view of the new school viewed along the bus loop. Also please note, that a 4’-0’ wide concrete sidewalk (currently not shown on the revised site plan or the perspective) will be added to the west perimeter of the bus loop to allow students to access the school from the west.
Please review the revise site plan and perspective with your neighbors and email back your comments regarding the revised site plan ASAP, but no later than July 6, 2010. If you require any additional information regarding the above design issue please contact me (contact information removed). Thanks Joe
Attachments
BFES-SD Brochure Site Plan as sent to BOE 6-23-2010 (2)
BFES-SD.Site Plan.Revised to shorten.bus.loop.Muse.7-2-2010.
Attachments inlined as images
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