Board approves schematic designs for Park and Old Mill elementary modernizations; Tam Valley garden tree removals draw concern

The Mill Valley School District board approved schematic designs for modernization at Park and Old Mill elementary schools, part of the district's Measure G facility master plan. The board voted to move the designs into the next design development phase.

District staff and the project team said the schematic cost estimate keeps hard‑costs at or below the originally budgeted amounts and that the items in the scope are project priority‑one work drawn from the district's 2021 facility master plan. The Park scope includes new drinking fountains, restroom accessibility upgrades, a replaced TK play structure, upgraded HVAC units for multipurpose rooms and portables, roofing replacements and completion of a campus fire loop with additional hydrants. Old Mill's scope includes playground replacement and landscaping, HVAC and furnace work for classrooms and multipurpose spaces and other site improvements.

The board approved the schematic design motion after the presentation by Julia Arroyo, the district director of maintenance and operations safety, and project architect Ted Felix of JKAE; Sandrine Hitchcock of AECOM, the program manager, also joined staff at the dais.

Tam Valley garden concerns Public commenters raised separate concerns about a Tam Valley Elementary garden remodel included in the larger Measure G program. Garden educators and parents urged the district to consult the site's garden educator and to explore options for transplanting seven mature apple trees rather than discarding them. Jennifer Nasiri, Tam Valley's garden educator, said she supported ADA compliance updates but criticized the decision to move forward with removal of the seven trees: "When I asked the architect why they chose the location for the structure, they could not recall... I support the garden becoming ADA compliant. However... the plan to remove 7 mature apple trees is heartbreaking," she said.

District staff said they had asked the general contractor and landscape architects about transplanting the apples but that early feedback indicated low odds the mature trees would survive a move. Staff pledged to follow up with more detailed analysis and to involve site staff in upcoming design‑development meetings.

Vote and next steps The schematic design approvals carried by unanimous voice vote. Staff said the next phase will include more detailed design development, further principal and staff review, and meetings with site teams and special education staff to ensure accessibility and program needs are incorporated.

Ending Trustees and staff emphasized that the projects aim to address fire/life safety, accessibility and aging systems and that the district will continue outreach to site staff and community members as detailed designs are developed.