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Methacton board hears schematic design, $213M estimate for new high school; land‑use approvals remain
Summary
Design team presented a schematic design, a $213.4 million all‑in project estimate and a multi‑year schedule; board will vote on whether to move to the next phase March 25 while township zoning, conservation and sewer approvals continue to be required.
At its Feb. 25 meeting, the Methacton School District heard a schematic design update and a preliminary comprehensive budget for a proposed new Methacton High School, with the design team providing a total project estimate of $213,385,000 and a multi‑stage schedule that would lead to construction if the board approves each step.
The presentation, led by consultants from CHA and the Schroeder Group, laid out a phased process: finish schematic design March 18, a board decision to enter design development on March 25, design development through September with an October Act 34 public hearing, construction‑document completion in January, bidding through March 2026 and potential construction if bids and approvals align — with an estimated site construction start after that and project completion in summer 2029.
The update matters because the package includes land‑development work, design decisions that require zoning relief and approvals from county and township agencies, and a dollar figure that will inform borrowing discussions later this spring. “At this point we’re focusing in on both a target number for hard costs and soft costs,” the cost presenter said, adding hard construction costs around $163 million and soft costs about $49 million.
Consultants and district staff warned several regulatory and design constraints remain unresolved. The site is in an agricultural zoning district that requires conditional use for a public school; the team said portions of the proposed building exceed the township’s 35‑foot/2.5‑story height limit (design reaches roughly 45 feet in parts), and the project increases impervious coverage from around 43% now to a projected 45% — both items that will require relief. The team said parking and lighting also trigger variances: the draft plan shows parking within 250 feet of a front yard property line and parking‑lot and field lights that exceed a 12‑foot maximum site light height specified in the township ordinance.
Consultants described mitigation and design responses: a separated circulation pattern with distinct bus, parent and student entrances; about 877 on‑site parking spaces (up from the current 603 striped spaces); preserved and relocated athletic fields; underground and above‑ground stormwater basins; and an internal “courtyard/warrior way” intended to reduce interior travel time for students. The team also said they plan monthly updates while land‑development approvals, county conservation district review and sewer planning module reviews proceed — processes the consultants estimated could together take nine to 12 months.
Board members asked detailed questions about cost assumptions, escalation and alternates. The consultants said escalation was currently modeled through the midpoint of construction and that value‑engineering work will start in the coming weeks to identify cost‑efficiency options and add/deduct alternates (examples mentioned included a pool bulkhead and fieldhouse items).
The board was asked to expect a more detailed cost estimate and borrowing scenarios at the March 18 work session; a March 25 vote would decide whether to proceed to the next design phase. No formal vote on design or financing occurred at the Feb. 25 meeting.
Provenance: Presentation and schedule details were given by district consultants and staff during the Methacton School District board meeting. Evidence: presentation remarks and cost breakdowns given by the Schroeder Group and CHA team.
