Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Construction topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Conewago Valley SD receives design development update for NOE addition; land‑development steps ongoing
Summary
District staff and project designers updated the facilities committee on the NOE school addition design development, site plan details and the land‑development and permitting steps with Oxford Township, New Oxford Borough and county conservation (NPDES). A possible zoning variance was identified as a remaining permitting question.
District staff and project designers presented a design development update for the NOE school addition at a Conewago Valley School District facilities meeting.
The presentation outlined interior plan refinements, exterior massing studies, site circulation for buses and parent drop‑off, and the permitting steps required in two municipalities and with county conservation.
The update, delivered by the project presenter (Nick), said the NOE design is in the design development phase and that "we're gonna give you an update on the NOE project with the current design. It's in design development phase." The presenter described recent changes to small‑group instruction room adjacencies and access from the main academic corridor to a proposed courtyard intended for outdoor learning.
Why it matters: the site lies in two municipalities — Oxford Township and New Oxford Borough — and the project team is pursuing land development approvals in both jurisdictions while also submitting for the county conservation NPDES permit. The presenter said submissions are "already in progress," and that the team anticipates the NPDES approval by February 2026.
Key schedule points the presenter outlined: the design development phase is expected to wrap in October; the team plans to move to the construction document phase in November to finalize drawings for bidding; the act 34 booklet and estimate work will follow; and the team hopes to have drawings ready to be put out to bid in 2026 with construction starting as early as May 2026. The presenter stated that recorded plans are needed to start construction and estimated that recording could push work into March at the earliest.
The project team told the committee it remains to be determined whether a zoning hearing board variance will be required because the current zoning does not list a school as a permitted use; a text amendment could render the school a permitted use. Civil engineers Becky Hasson and Jennifer Lee, identified as being from Braske and Wilson engineers, were present and noted that coordination with the municipalities is ongoing.
Design details shown to the committee included white‑mode massing renderings (no exterior color or materials yet) and construction footprint drawings identifying the existing kindergarten wing, the proposed addition, bus and parent drop‑off locations, playground placements, and an emergency vehicle driveway around the building. The presenter described plans to provide visual supervision and daylighting through transparent library and media center adjacency to the courtyard.
District staff said interior design meetings with faculty are under way, with follow‑up sessions scheduled to finalize interior layouts before handing them to the mechanical, electrical and plumbing consultants for systems coordination.
No formal votes or motions on the NOE design were recorded in the transcript. Committee members asked clarifying questions about grading and fill; the presenter responded that bringing the finished floor to minimize interior ramps was a major factor in the volume of fill being considered and that the design team had studied tradeoffs between bringing soil on site versus adding interior ramps and stairs.
The meeting concluded the NOE discussion by noting that more detailed exterior materials and color schemes are expected at upcoming meetings and that land development coordination and NPDES work will continue.
