Planners table site plan approval for 'mega-elementary'

Planners table site plan approval for 'mega-elementary'
Submitted by PennHillsProgress on November 5, 2010

The Penn Hills Planning Commission left its Nov. 4 meeting with more questions than answers about the proposed Penn Hills Elementary Center, which came before the commission seeking site plan approval.

Commissioners opted to table a vote on the $130 million, 187,500-square-foot project, which would be built on the current Dible Elementary site and replace the Penn Hills School District's existing grade schools.

"You've got a lot of stuff pending here," said planning chair Jerry Chappinelli, during an evening where much of the discussion centered on land- and streetscaping.

At issue, primarily, was the landscaping plan, which showed a fraction (73) of the required amount (427) of trees for a project of this size.

School district solicitor Craig Alexander reminded the commission that the site plan was created with an eye toward cost-effectiveness, since "it's Penn Hills taxpayer dollars which are funding it," he said.

"We want to use this open space for open areas," Alexander said, referring to amenities like the proposed Charles G. Turner Field. "I think that the planning commission should consider that the students will be best served by open, usable space."

Commissioner Denny Gallo and school board member Robert Hudak, however, both agreed that while it was important to save taxpayer dollars, it was also important to create an environmentally-friendly, aesthetically-pleasing site plan.

"You want to create a building that students will want to go to," Hudak said.

The current site plan, which shows planting around the perimeter of the property, may not necessarily need to meet the exact requirements, planner Chris Blackwell said, but it did need addressing.

"I'm not expecting 427 trees," Blackwell said. "But I'm a taxpayer too, and I want to see a first-class building."

"I think a lot of people may be getting the wrong impression," he told representatives from Architectural Innovations (AI), the Ross Township firm heading up the project. "The photo you show has the school sitting in front of a large wooded area, but after the site grading is complete, those trees are going to be gone... the people who live (adjacent) to the site are going to be amazed when they see it."

In total, the commission raised 16 issues, although AI's Keith Miller said many of those issues are in the process of being addressed, including required permits, a geo-technical report on the property and a plan for overflow parking.

Representatives for the project will return to the planning commission at its Dec. 16 meeting.

This coming Monday (Nov. , Penn Hills School District board members are expected to award a nearly $39 million construction bid to Pittsburgh-based Massaro Corp., the lowest bidder on the 257,000-square-foot proposed high school. For more on that story, visit www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_707335.html

Plans for the high school were approved by the planning commission in 2009, Blackwell said.

IMO the need to table that Mega School disaster until they get some research on how that many child, in that grade span, will affect those children's education.

It amazes me, the School Board didn't know the School District was paying $15,000 for a PLA report, but they knew a report was being done, and was for getting the report, so much so, they didn't bother to ask THE COST!.

On the other hand when it comes to educating children, they are not interested in any reports that might shed some light on the academic effects of a school THAT large, with a grade span of pre K to 4th grades. Hmmm.....