Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Site Traffic Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee backs safety curbing at Heritage site; larger parking expansion deferred
Summary
Facilities Committee reviewed a traffic study and approved closing a left-turn and related safety curbing at the Heritage school site, while deferring a larger parking expansion; funds for the work would come from a Vogel Brothers holdback tied to the referendum construction contract.
The Waunakee Community School District Facilities Committee voted to move forward this summer with a targeted safety change at the Heritage school site — curbing to eliminate a hazardous left-turn — and to defer a larger parking expansion pending further review.
District staff and civil engineer Roxanne Johnson presented results of a traffic study and site design options. The study recommended against adding a new entrance onto Woodland Drive because engineers concluded a second access would likely worsen traffic flow on the property. Instead, the administration proposed curving the existing entrance to remove the left-turn movement where a student-on-bicycle collision previously occurred, and adding additional parking by modifying a pond to create stalls.
Committee members discussed trade-offs: the safety curbing was framed as high priority, while the parking expansion (an estimate described in discussion as roughly on the order of “under $500,000” after contingencies) could be postponed. Staff said Vogel Brothers, the district’s construction contractor on the referendum projects, was holding roughly $650,000 on the Heritage site as a potential fund source; the district could instead ask Vogel to close out the Heritage contract and return those funds for other referendum-eligible capital work.
After discussion, a motion was made to proceed with the safety curbing this summer and to delay action on the larger parking addition and other modifications; the committee voted in favor by voice vote. Staff said the curbing portion should proceed this summer regardless of the larger decision.
Staff noted the parking alternative would reduce neighborhood spillover on event days but is not required for routine daily parking: administrators said typical school-day parking is adequate, and congestion primarily occurs during larger events such as concerts, open houses or conferences.
The committee asked staff to include the Heritage safety curbing and the larger parking option in materials for the upcoming board meeting so members of the full board can consider the funding and timing trade-offs.
