Preliminary plan for high school site presented

• High school site plan

Contributed graphic A preliminary site plan for a new high school was presented to school board members. Even though there are no immediate plans to build a new high school, the district wanted to begin the planning process.

Talk about it

A preliminary site plan for a new high school was presented to Alexandria school board members at last month’s regular meeting.

At this time, the land has been secured for a new high school through Phase I of the district’s long-range facility plan and a referendum that passed in September of 2007. Currently, however, there are no immediate plans to build the new high school, which would require voter approval.

Phase II of School District 206’s long-range facility plans proposes a referendum for the new high school to come before voters in three to five years.

The drawing of the site plan, which was presented by a representative of DLR Group, was designed to illustrate the components of the high school project in relationship to topography with respect to wetlands, tree preservation and access roads.

School officials said that over the past few months, the architectural planning team has been working to develop a site plan for the proposed high school, which will be located on a 167-acre piece of land northwest of the intersection of 50th Avenue SE and Pioneer Road in the southeast corner of Alexandria.

The cost of the property – $3.6 million – was paid for with funds from a $24.5 million bond referendum passed in September of 2007. The preliminary conceptual site planning was also paid for out of proceeds from the bond referendum.

Property owners, Richard and Shirley Klimek, donated 1 percent of the purchase price, which equals $36,000, to the Alexandria Public Schools Education Foundation.

District administrators noted that the preliminary planning came sooner than expected because of Knute Nelson’s proposed senior living facility that will be built on the east side of Pioneer Road across from the future high school. The project is expected to break ground this spring.

The future high school site design is a requirement of city officials and will go before the city planning commission for review.

If approved, a conditional use permit will be granted, allowing work on-site this summer with regard to access road entrances, wetland mitigation and tree planting. The plan also indicates how the school, fields and parking could all fit on the site.

Tags: alexandria, school, district, 206, new, high, school, site, plan