School board approves design phase for campus master plan, including new Mill Road entrance

The Brecksville-Broadview Heights City School District Board of Education voted 5-0 on Feb. 12 to approve an amendment to its architectural design contract to advance a campus master plan from conceptual drawings to construction-ready design.

The contract amendment with the district's architect covers the work needed to prepare bid documents and design drawings, plus reimbursable expenses capped at about $38,000, Superintendent Jeff Harrison told the board. "This is the cost to basically get this ready for bid," Harrison said during the meeting.

The design work would cover a new entrance off Mill Road, a campus roundabout intended to keep traffic moving, a graded open area where the former Hilton building sits and other circulation and site-work elements. Board members and staff said the immediate goal is to address morning and afternoon traffic flow on Mill Road and reduce congestion; the campus master plan is a larger, multi-phase vision that will be implemented incrementally.

Harrison said the district has funding available for this portion of the master plan and that the vote authorizes the detailed design phase and preparation for bidding. He said the district expects to seek bid authorization in March or April, depending on how quickly design work proceeds and on contractor schedules. "We would like it done sooner than later. I would love to have it done before school starts," Harrison said, while noting the timeline depends on bids and contractor availability.

Neighbors in the Chippewa Hills homeowners association raised concerns about headlight glare, stormwater runoff, parking and noise. Harrison described outreach the district has done: meetings with homeowners, in-home site visits and ongoing coordination with city officials. "We as a school district are gonna be good neighbors, and we continue to collaborate with Chippewa Hills HOA," he said. The design drawings include landscaping mounding and evergreens near the driveway to reduce light intrusion for the closest homes, Harrison said.

The district expects to need zoning variances for nonstandard items identified in the conceptual plan — primarily signage, some parking stall dimensions near athletic fields and potential height limits for future press boxes — and said it is coordinating with the City of Brecksville on those questions. Harrison also said removing the old Hilton building and regrading the site should reduce impervious surface in that area and improve some drainage compared with current conditions.

Board members emphasized the vote authorizes the design phase only; full construction would require subsequent approvals and bids. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with all five members present voting in favor: Mrs. Galick, Mrs. Kramer, Ms. Spykowski, Ms. O'Meara and Mr. Dossen.

If bids come in on schedule, district staff said construction work could begin later this year; exact timelines will depend on contractor availability and permit approvals.

Votes at the meeting also approved routine consent items and other personnel and program actions (see "Votes at a glance").