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Big Walnut Board selects Garmin Miller for districtwide facilities master plan
Summary
The Big Walnut Local Board of Education voted to select Garmin Miller and authorize negotiations for a facilities master planning contract. The firm proposed an 8–12 month process of defining goals, a facilities assessment, enrollment study and community engagement to produce recommended options and costs.
The Big Walnut Local Board of Education voted 5-0 on Feb. 10 to select Garmin Miller and Associates as the district's design professional for a facilities master planning project and authorized staff to negotiate an agreement.
The selection launches a master planning process Garmin Miller said will “define, discover and develop” — establishing goals, surveying building conditions and enrollment and developing several alternatives with estimated costs for community review. Ted Musolitz, associate principal with Garmin Miller, told the board the firm will bring architects and engineers to assess each building’s physical condition and capacity and perform an enrollment and housing study to guide long-term options. He said the firm typically recommends a task force and 1–2 visioning meetings with staff and community members.
The plan matters because it will produce a recommended, districtwide strategy for repairs, additions and other capital options — including a prioritized approach for Baughman and possible elementary expansions — and a package of documents the board can use to pursue projects. Musolitz said the full planning effort is commonly completed in a roughly 8–12 month period when districts pursue “an effective job with this and really engage the community.” The firm recommended a task force of about 20–30 people for meaningful engagement.
Board members pressed staff about sequencing and timelines. A district official told the board the renovation of Baughman Street (the south wing) is already in the design stage under previously approved work and that a separate assessment of Harrison Street is underway with another firm. Director of facilities Jim Hall said the Garmin Miller contract would focus on all other district buildings, enrollment projections and identifying which sites could be expanded to accommodate projected elementary capacities.
The resolution authorizing selection of Garmin Miller passed unanimously, with the recorded votes: Missus Nicks, Mr. Crowell, Mr. Duffy, Mr. Fuji and Mrs. Graziosi — all voting yes.
The board discussed stakeholder participation and asked that staff share task-force meeting dates with board members so trustees can follow development as options are refined. Musolitz said the final master-planning deliverable would include alternatives, cost estimates, and documentation from community meetings to support the board’s decision on preferred direction.
Background and next steps: staff will conclude contract negotiations and bring a negotiated agreement to the board for final approval. If the board proceeds, the district expects at least an initial year of engagement, with interim decisions possible earlier on high-priority items such as Baughman’s south wing.
