Princeton committee suggests $74 million base scheme, tosses John Witherspoon demolition, tables underground parking
By: Jeff Milgram
After tabling a discussion on underground parking, the Princeton Regional Board of Education Facilities Committee on Thursday endorsed a $74.2 million plan to renovate and expand all six of the district’s schools.
The decision, which was reached by consensus rather than by vote, was made unanimous after board member Barbara Prince dropped her support of plans to build a new middle school. The district’s architect, The Hillier Group, said tearing down the John Witherspoon School and building a new middle school would cost an additional $20 million.
In the end, the added cost and the fact that the more expensive plans did not substantially increase the number of playing fields proved to be the deciding factors.
The recommendation is expected to go before the full school board at a special meeting at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the John Witherspoon School. The board hopes to hold a bond referendum on the building plan April 17.
School board President Charlotte Bialek, Superintendent Claire Sheff Kohn and Facilities Committee Chairman Frank Strasburger, who also serves as the board vice president, came out in support of Scheme 1, which calls for renovations and additions for performing arts, athletics and science and technology to the John Witherspoon School and Princeton High School.
"Twenty million dollars is a lot of money … especially since the middle school is structurally sound," said Ms. Bialek.
"Scheme 1 meets our program needs and it’s going to be cost-effective," Dr. Kohn said.
"I think we get what we need," said the Rev. Strasburger. "I regret the loss of a field, but I don’t think you can ask the public to pay (an additional) $20 million. Plan 3 is better than Plan 2 in that it means one more field, but it’s not worth 20 million bucks," he said.
Scheme 2 would place a new middle school next to PHS, while Scheme 3 would locate it near Franklin Avenue, on the same side of Walnut Lane as the John Witherspoon School.
The plan to build a new middle school next to the expanded PHS had been loudly criticized by many residents of the high school neighborhood.
"We have certainly heard loud and clear from the neighborhood," said the Rev. Strasburger. "We want to be good neighbors."
Ms. Prince questioned whether a renovated and expanded John Witherspoon School would meet the district’s curriculum needs.
"I want whatever building we have to meet the curriculum needs," Ms. Prince said.
David N. Hingston, senior associate at The Hillier Group, said all the options met current and future curriculum goals. Once reassured, Ms Prince threw her support behind the renovation and expansion option.
She said the added cost of building a new school, when spread out over 30 years, would have minimal impact on tax bills.
The committee also debated the question of spending an additional $2.5 million to build underground parking beneath a proposed performing arts center at PHS, which was included in all the options.
Support for such parking was split among committee members.
"I won’t support underground parking for $2.5 million … I don’t think we should spend money on parking," said Joshua Leinsdorf, who estimated underground parking would cost $25,000 to $30,000 per space under all the options.
"I think it’s worth the price to have under-structure parking," said Ms. Prince. "Again, we’re talking about a long-range investment."
Criticism of underground parking centers on security and whether it would become a place where teen-agers would hang out.
The question of athletic fields played a dominant role in Thursday’s discussion. None of the options would increase the number of fields, but Scheme 1 might effectively eliminate a field because of drainage problems, Mr. Hingston said.
The other options were almost as unpalatable because fields would have to be aligned on an east-west axis, which would put the sun in the eyes of some players.
The committee said it would give serious thought to a suggestion to cover the parking lot at John Witherspoon School and put tennis courts on top.
Ms. Bialek said specific renovation plans for the district’s four elementary schools would be changed in an attempt to expand in-district programs for special-needs children. The committee hopes to expand the autism program at Riverside School and possibly the multidisabled program at Littlebrook.
Ms. Bialek said she hopes the autism program would eventually reach all autistic students in the district.
In other action, the board set up a committee to look into the interim and long-range future of the Valley Road Building, which is shared by the school district and Princeton Township.
Ms. Prince will be the chairwoman of the committee, which will have members from the school board, the public and the Princeton Regional Planning Board.
The township expects to move out of the building when its new municipal building is completed this spring.
The building might be used as "swing space" during construction at other buildings, but it would not be used for classrooms, Ms. Prince said.