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Board hears hundreds of public comments urging ‘Stage Thurston’; bond team says staging not recommended
Summary
Hundreds of residents, parents and teachers urged the Ann Arbor Public Schools board to stage Thurston Elementary rather than rebuild on its existing site, citing floodplain, habitat and student‑safety concerns; the bond team and Gilbane told trustees they do not recommend staging because of program, site and cost constraints.
Trustees spent more than three hours on the Thurston Elementary site plan after a public comment period dominated by pleas to “Stage Thurston” and preserve the Thurston Nature Center. Community members warned the board the current on‑site rebuild would reduce outdoor playspace, place classrooms near water and fragment a long‑tended habitat.
“Stage Thurston,” multiple speakers told the board during public comment; parents and students said staging would protect the nature center and avoid exposing children to a multi‑year construction zone. Several speakers argued the proposed site sits on a known floodplain and pointed to potential long‑term environmental and liability risks.
The bond program team and Gilbane Building…
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