The McCall-Donnelly School District Board of Trustees learned Monday night they may have a budget for reconstruction of the McCall-DonnellyHigh School in a couple weeks.
Designers have scheduled a conference with neighbors on Wednesday at the high school to discuss plan details at the request of the city of McCall.
Jim Coles, lead architect with Design West, the firm designing the reconstructed school, reported all space needs have been fulfilled for the high school's 26 faculty.
The consulting team of architects, engineers and a landscaper fleshed out all details of the school before a budget is prepared.
M-D's construction manager, Petra Inc., will work up costs and could have a construction budget ready in about two weeks. Petra would base pricing on the high school using the same quality materials as used at the elementary school projects.
Designers have been consulting with the city of McCall to tweak plans to satisfy city code before applying for permits to do the work.
All new sections of roof would be capable of supporting snow loads 150 pounds per square inch. The lower roofs of the multipurpose room wing would be strengthened to 100 pounds per square inch.
The highest roofs of the multipurpose room and the gym would be left at the 85 pound per square inch loading approved previously by the city of McCall. The city would be comfortable with that, Design West architect Bill Hamlin said.
Trustee Mary Hart asked about using an underground cistern to collect roof runoff from snow or rain for irrigation. Hart referred to a $300,000 underground water collection system used at Banner Bank in Boise.
Coles cautioned that while such a system may be cost effective in arid areas where the price of water runs high, but it may not be so in McCall when maintenance and other expenses are factored in.
The same number of driveways into campus parking lots would be retained, but for the sake of safe traffic flow, driveways into parking lots would be narrowed.
Upgraded parking area would be capable of accommodating 223 vehicles but would have 15 to 20 percent less hard surface, something with which the city of
McCall is pleased, said Dave Koga with the Land Group Inc., the firm designing school grounds.
Conifers lining the west side of the campus likely would be removed and an electrical power line adjacent to the trees placed underground. City grant funding could help pay for that project, and that possibility is being investigated.
Trustees thought other trees ought to be planted elsewhere with campus landscaping scheme, which they thought looked bare without them.
Hamlin said the design team is seeking a way to balance the city's dark sky ordinances with providing lighting that enhances security. Additional light poles in parking lots would not be desirable because of snow plowing problems and additional cost.
Renovation of the current gym is slated for this summer. If renovation lasts into September, a bypass would be created to keep students out of the gym but give them access to locker, rooms.
Physical education would not be hampered as classes are usually conducted outside in September, Principal Tim Thomas said. Volleyball games could be scheduled away until such time as the gym is available for use again.
Boys locker rooms and the stage in the multipurpose room would have wheelchair lifts installed.
Coles recommended the demolition contractor be given enough time to salvage materials for recycling rather than hauling rubble to the dump in keeping with environmentally friendly standards trustees adopted for building the schools.
Coles has attended conferences on building high-performance schools for six years, and he praised M-D trustees for "pushing the envelope" by incorporating key items that have been included at other high-performance schools.
A 200 feet by 300 feet lawn to replace parking space on the west side of the campus could eventually be used for an athletic facility; Thomas said.
