Lonedell committee refines bus garage plan, orders geotechnical quotes ahead of Feb. 17 board presentation

Brad Rucker, Board President of the Lonedell R-14 School District, presided over a Feb. 6 Bus Garage Committee meeting that advanced plans for a proposed bus garage and set near-term steps for geotechnical testing and public-facing renderings ahead of a Feb. 17 board meeting.

Consultants from Hoener Architects and Cochran Engineering reviewed four site-layout alternatives and recommended options that favored improved gate throat distance from the highway and operational flexibility. The committee weighed two approaches to ADA compliance and reached consensus to provide a single accessible stall adjacent to the garage entrance rather than regrading a large portion of the existing parking lot.

Cost and constructability were central to the discussion. Hoener’s materials revised the building unit cost downward from $225 per square foot to about $202 per square foot and carried a 5% contingency in the building cost. Ryan Schweissguth of Cochran Engineering described site geotechnical conditions, noting variable rock and saying rock-breaking costs had been estimated at approximately $4,000 per day. Consultants cautioned that aggressive lowering of grades could increase rock removal without delivering proportional benefits.

The committee recorded specific next steps. Cochran was asked to gather quotes for geotechnical borings and lot-consolidation services to present to the full school board for approval on Feb. 17, 2026. Hoener Architects was asked to produce site-plan renderings, floor plans and 3D visuals for outreach and bond-promotion materials. Ryan Schweissguth was assigned to finalize the preferred site location before detailed design and testing proceed.

Design details discussed included bus-port height and clearance, a preference for concrete paving at the bus port, and potential cost-saving building approaches such as steel framing and pre-engineered metal construction. Stormwater options emphasized an inlet in the parking lot with pipe to the toe of slope and open ditching where feasible; relocating the detention basin to a fenced corner was discussed to reduce visual impact but would require additional berming or piping.

The consultants agreed to proceed with geotechnical borings and targeted test pits once the site location is finalized; geotechnical services were not included in one consultant’s original scope and likely will require board approval in February or March. The committee also discussed parking capacity, noting an adjacent newer lot could be paved later to provide an additional 40-plus spaces and offset any loss near ramps.

The committee adjourned at 10:30 a.m.; the Oct. 17 board presentation date cited during the meeting is Feb. 17, 2026, when quotes and presentation materials are expected to be brought to the full board for consideration.