LAWRENCE: Chapin School project is OK’d by planners

A Chapin School expansion and renovation project, which also includes circulation improvements for parents dropping off and picking up students, got the go-ahead from the Lawrence Township Planning Boa

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   A Chapin School expansion and renovation project, which also includes circulation improvements for parents dropping off and picking up students, got the go-ahead from the Lawrence Township Planning Board Monday night.
   The private school, which enrolls children in grades K-8, is located on a 14-acre parcel on the corner of Princeton Pike and Province Line Road. It enrolls 311 children, including 83 from Lawrence Township.
   The project will be built in two phases, with the first phase beginning this summer. The plan calls for demolishing portions of some classroom buildings and constructing new buildings in their place. Although there will be a net increase of five classroom spaces — from 35 to 40 — there are no plans to increase the enrollment.
   Architect Walter Kneis told the Planning Board that the goal is to construct the new additions to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification — possibly “silver” certification. Highly reflective roofing material would be used, and there would be low-flow toilets. A greenhouse for students would be built next to the vegetable garden.
   ”The idea is to embrace sustainability and incorporate it into the classroom,” Mr. Kneis said.
   The mission of the school, Headmaster Richard Johnson told the Planning Board, is to provide a “superb” academic program. The elementary and middle school years are the most critical years, he said, adding that the school is “determined” to provide better teaching spaces for the children.
   ”We are a small school, but we have big dreams. This (project) will transform the school,” Mr. Johnson said.
   Outlining the proposed project, Mr. Johnson said it calls for building separate libraries for the lower school, which enrolls students in grades K-5, and the upper school, which handles grades 6-8. The lower school library will be designed to be “playful,” with a story-telling center, he said. The upper school library will be more technology-oriented, with small group workspaces.
   The plan also shows a new auditorium that could seat 550 people. There will be retractable seats, Mr. Johnson said. The present auditorium is too small and cannot accommodate as many students and parents. There are not enough seats for the parents, he said.
   The present auditorium will be renovated into an instrumental music area, with a music office and musical instrument storage. The choral music department will be expanded into the former library. The renovations to the auditorium include an expanded kitchen and a faculty lounge.
   Additions to the school include a multipurpose room, plus more classrooms for the lower school and upper school. The plan calls for a lower school science room, plus a computer room next to the lower school library.
   In addition to the renovation and expansion of the classroom buildings, the project calls for building a paved driveway loop area to provide more spaces for parents who are dropping off or picking up their children.
   The paved loop will provide more space for cars to stack up while the drivers are waiting for the children to be dismissed, he said. It will take the cars off Princeton Pike and prevent traffic backing up onto Princeton Pike.
   After the Chapin School representatives completed the presentation and the Planning Board was ready to vote on it, Planning Board member Michael Powers congratulated the Chapin School officials on “an exciting project.”