Middle school fix debated

Plans to remodel 40-year-old Lindero Canyon Middle School have already been remodeled several times. A project slightly reduced in scope has finally been approved by the Las Virgenes Unified School District Board of Education in the face of rising construction costs.

"The time has come to either fish or cut bait," Superintendent Donald Zimring said of the need to move forward with the school's refurbishing and expansion. He said the district's previous design plan couldn't be sustained by bond money.

WLC Architects of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. handled the latest design modifications. The $33 million budgeted for the project has swelled to more than $39 million, according to architect Bob Hensley.

Initial plans called for renovating 47,000 square feet of existing school buildings and constructing 50,000 square feet of new structures, including a multipurpose building, two-story science wing and library media center. Major work was planned on the present administration building.

Covered walkways, additional parking and plans to maximize the playing fields were also included in the first plan.

But with higher costs to deal with, the architects went back to the drawing board to see where the budget had sprung a leak. General site work, including soil issues, had added $2.5 million, building costs had risen $1.8 million because of an additional 6,000 square feet of construction added during the design phase, and other costs rose by $650,000.

Hensley said the design was simplified to remedy the problems. Rather than build a completely new multipurpose building, the final plan calls for remodeling the school's B building. That decision shaved off $3.5 million in costs.

Nearly $500,000 was saved by nixing the shade structure and perimeter fencing, and the library was reduced in size by erasing planned second story classrooms and utilizing lower roof elevations. Floor space in the library will remain the same, Hensley said. Rather than fit classrooms with custom casements, modular casework saved $381,000.

The measures saved $4.8 million, although the cost of the project is still $1 million over its original budget.

Hensley said grants may be available to cover the costs since the campus is viewed by the state as two schools. State grants may total $1 million, he said.

"It's an efficient use of space," Hensley said, and room was saved by reducing the number of corridors.

Matt McKagen, Lindero's band director, questioned Hensley about the new music room's configuration. He said one of the doors shown in the plan posed a safety hazard to students, and a blind area could create difficulties with supervision. He suggested deleting a storage closet to eliminate the blind spot.

Hensley said the present building has some constraints, but solutions could be found and incorporated into the plan.

Zimring noted that within any given space, design modifications could still be made. "Within the spaces we still have flexibility," he said.

Green light

The Lindero plans also call for "green" or environmentally sound solutions. Various energy conservation measures will be woven into the exterior of the buildings and direct sunlight will be blocked from the library.

Solar panels are planned for the roof, and LED lighting will save in energy costs. Natural daylight will illuminate many of the classrooms, and double-glazed windows and sunshades will keep the rooms cooler and lessen glare. Skylights will also be installed, reducing the need to for artificial lighting.

School officials can earn credits by employing green policies. Hensley said the state has an estimated $100 million available for schools that meet certain environmental "thresholds."

"Now is the time for us to be proactive in that regard," said board member Cindy Iser.

Now that the school board has okayed the design, Hensley said he expects the Division of State Architects to take about two months to give its approval.

The project will be ready to go out to bid by summer 2008; construction is expected to take two years.

School officials said the new and improved Lindero Canyon Middle School should be completed by 2010.

Flexibility remains

Jerry Orland, chair of the district's Construction Oversight Committee, had recommended approval of the design. "We can't wait any longer," he said.

"The fear is we will continue to review, review, review," Zimring said. "The architects cannot revise it any more."

Lindero Canyon Principal Ron Kaiser emphasized the importance of having enough space to allow all the students to eat lunch at the same time. "It's critical to have one lunch area." The students could be separated into two areas. "From the get-go I thought this was important," Kaiser said.

Zimring reiterated that there would still be some flexibility for change, although doors, ceilings and roofs couldn't be moved. He said the process of haggling over design elements was a testament to everyone's desire that the remodeling be perfect.

"Is this the ultimate, perfect design?" Zimring asked. "We can always find areas to change."