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Moreland Elementary renovations proposed at about $14.3 million; parents raise traffic and pre‑K questions
Summary
Architects presented a plan to expand Moreland Elementary with new cafeteria, kitchen, library and classrooms, an added parent drop‑off on Moreland Avenue and a dedicated bus‑only lot; architects estimate an all‑in cost around $14.3 million and said the work could be bid next year.
Architects presented a renovation and addition concept for Moreland Elementary and told the board the design includes expanded cafeteria and kitchen space, a new library, a third‑grade wing, and a dedicated bus‑only parking/delivery area to remove buses from Wilson Street congestion.
Justin Doty described the Moreland concept as additions on the northeast and southeast sides of the existing building, repurposing the current northern parking lot for buses, creating a long parent‑drop queue on Moreland Avenue, and adding multiple controlled pedestrian access points. "This is bus only," Doty said of the repurposed lot; parent drop‑off would use the new Moreland Avenue entrance.
Grace Hyland said the Moreland package includes head start classroom placement near a separate entrance, group toilet rooms for classroom clusters, and a blacktop/playground combination that mirrors other district elementary projects. The architects estimated the all‑inclusive project cost at about $14,300,000 (construction, soft costs, furnishings and equipment). They said parts of the site will require stormwater management and that they will attempt to preserve existing Little League and tennis court spaces where feasible.
Board members and several public commenters raised traffic and safety questions about Moreland Avenue (higher speeds, heavy use by college traffic), the potential for bus backups onto Wilson Street, noise mitigation for adjacent houses, off‑site parking impacts and how multiple access points would be secured outside drop‑off/pick‑up periods. Architects said they plan landscape buffers where possible, pedestrian speed tables/raised crosswalks at key points, and ongoing coordination with the borough and fire police for traffic control during turnover.
On pre‑K and Head Start provision, board members asked whether Moreland would provide additional classroom space for future pre‑K expansion; the architects said they intentionally included one Head Start classroom and one unassigned open classroom that could be used if enrollment and programming needs change.
Timeline: architects said Moreland will enter design development and could be bid in the coming year, with a shorter construction window than the new middle school and an expected opening by 2027 under the proposed schedule.
Next steps: the district will present Act 34 or scheduling materials (if required) and continue coordination with the borough on traffic calming and access control.
