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Board reviews conceptual plan to ease Middle School arrival and dismissal congestion; seeks design authorization
Summary
Consultants presented a conceptual redesign of the Upper Allen campus to separate bus and car traffic, add queuing capacity and reconfigure parking; estimate: $750,000–$1,000,000 as a placeholder pending design and permitting. Board asked staff to seek design authorization for the next meeting.
District consultants presented a conceptual site plan aimed at reducing arrival and dismissal congestion at the Mechanicsburg Middle School/Upper Allen campus and the board agreed to discuss authorizing the design phase at a future voting meeting.
Consultants from Crabtree and KCI described recurring traffic backups where three school campuses converge. The concept would keep buses in their existing lot, reconfigure the front/middle lot for paired pickup and double‑stacked queueing, and create a new parking lot near the ball fields to offset parking lost by the reconfiguration. The design also includes a stormwater basin and grading changes to manage impervious area.
Chad Martin, the traffic engineer standing in for KCI, summarized the approach and noted the scheme increases queuing capacity from current counts to an estimated 100–120 vehicles before impacting the signal on Market Street. He emphasized the goal of separating buses and cars to keep main circulation free.
Board members raised safety and pedestrian concerns. Several trustees asked how walkers (students who cross the campus on foot) would be protected; board members sought explicit design features (sidewalks, marked crosswalks or supervised crossings) and assurances that a staff crossing guard or other supervision would be included. The consultant noted the project sits mostly on district property and that PennDOT review would not be required unless work impacted the state right‑of‑way; however, Upper Allen Township review and possible NPDES permitting could extend the schedule if earth disturbance exceeds one acre.
The plan’s estimated conceptual construction placeholder is between $750,000 and $1,000,000; consultants and staff stressed that number is a planning estimate and that the project could require design refinements or additional approvals. The board voted to place the item on the February agenda to authorize design, with final construction timing contingent on permitting and the detailed design process.
