On Wednesday, January 17th, Northshore School District Superintendent, Dr. Michelle Reid, district staff and project leads from BLRB Architects met with parents, staff and community members to discuss the impacts the Bond and Levy measures will have on Canyon Creek Elementary and Skyview Middle School communities. Beforehand, Canyon Creek PTA collected questions/concerns from the community to bring to the meeting. Shared below are the responses as noted by our PTA President, who attended the meeting.
What exactly is included in the bond that affect Canyon Creek and Skyview?
How will Canyon Creek meet the needs of 450 students that will be using the 15 new classrooms at Skycreek? Specifics such as cafeteria (how many seats), library, computer labs, gym classes, playground equipment, bathrooms, support staff, music
The new SkyCreek building will add capacity for up to 300 students (combined total from both Skyview and Canyon Creek). The intent is not to "super size" either Canyon Creek or Skyview, but rather to mitigate the existing growth. According to district planners, it is expected that the district will grow by upwards of 2,000 students over the next few years. They predict approximately 10% of that total growth will be in the Skyview/Canyon Creek service areas-- about 200+ students. This new building is intended to mitigate current capacity issues and allow for additional growth.
Specifics:
How will Skyview meet these same needs mentioned above and more. Students will have less of an opportunity to play sports, be in chosen electives, be in the play, and participate in clubs. Being 1 one of 1400 students is a lot harder than being 1 of 800 students.
The new SkyCreek building will add capacity for up to 300 students (combined total from both Skyview and Canyon Creek). The intent is not to "super size" either Canyon Creek or Skyview, but rather to mitigate the existing growth. According to district planners, it is expected that the district will grow by upwards of 2,000 students over the next few years. They predict approximately 10% of that total growth will be in the Skyview/Canyon Creek service areas-- about 200+ students. This new building is intended to mitigate current capacity issues and allow for additional growth.
They are planning to modernize and expand "common areas" at Skyview, including the cafeteria and outdoor covered playspace.
Why can’t some changes be made near current Canyon Creek portables on back side of gym including drainage ditch? Why can’t some building be done to the rear of Skyview where current portables stand? Why can’t the Skyview Tech building go to two floors?
Planners assured attendees that all options were looked at and reviewed before making final decisions. While they did not address these questions specifically, they did say that they felt they chose what they felt were the best options based upon a large array of factors and considerations. They also were careful to include stakeholders, including building principals, in the decision-making process.
Why doesn’t the new school alleviate some of the growth problem at Canyon Creek/Skyview?
It does. But based on levels of recent growth and predicted growth in this area for the next 2-4 years, it alone is not enough to handle the enrollment increases in our area.
This new middles school [note: not a part of this bond] is being planned to accommodate 700. Why 700 for new school and 1400 for Skyview?
Based upon the lot size, the maximum number of students they can build for is 1,200. Since they are developing it as a shared site, part of that will serve the elementary and part of that will serve the middle school.
They are not planning for 1,400 students at Skyview. The new SkyCreek building will create capacity for 300 students between both Skyview and Canyon Creek and planners anticipate the bulk of that enrollment will be on the elementary side in coming years.
Why is a new bus loop needed at Canyon Creek? How was the need determined?
The district commissioned a traffic study. It was conducted by engineers from Heffron Transportation, a well-respected engineering consulting firm. The decision for changes to the bus loop is based on their recommendations with regards to safety and traffic flow. The changes to the bus loop also allowed for the addition of more parking spaces which are required to meet code for the new building.
What feedback was solicited from the staff or the community?
They included stakeholders (building administration) throughout the decision-making process. Held two open house events. And the permitting process also allowed for public comment. Planners indicated they felt they met their responsibility with regards to soliciting feedback. It was suggested however, that communication on the part of the district was not as strong or consistent as it could have been. As such, they are already in the process of hiring for a communications director for capital planning. It was also noted that there is still room for conversation and discussion of the proposed changes to the bus loop as permitting is not yet complete. Dr. Reid noted that if additional meetings are needed, that can happen.
What other solutions were discussed besides a new bus turnaround and staff parking lot renovation?
Planners indicated that they looked at a large variety of possible solutions before deciding on the current proposal.
How much natural area is there now? (1 acre?) How much will remain natural?
Currently, there is a green area at the northeast corner of the lot that is home to 175 trees. The proposed changes will require removal of 80 trees. Green space, about 65 feet deep along the north edge of the lot and 45 feet wide at the east edge of the lot, including 95+ trees will remain.
How would a right turn onto 212th improve the congestion or safety of walkers?
The theory is that having buses enter and exit on 212th would allow for smoother and faster exits as they don't have to deal with traffic backups on 35th. However, it was noted by attendees that if queuing for Canyon Creek's parking lot is removed from 35th, then maybe the challenges of exiting the current bus loop would already be alleviated and shifting it to 212th will just bring more challenges, particularly for the adjacent neighborhoods and their traffic patterns.
As a last resort, have you considered making only a different bus exit and not adding parking spaces? (reducing the size of the loop)
Planners indicated that they considered all possibilities.
Can we see a blueprint (not an artist’s rendering) of the change that will take place on the site?
They provided drawings and information at the meeting. We do have a photo of the landscaping plan for the planned bus turn around.
Is there anything on record of an accident, complaints of blocked visibility, or just what makes this the best choice for bus turnaround?
There is a traffic study and recommendations from the engineers who conducted the study upon which they based their decisions. A request by an attendee to view/access that study was not acknowledged by the planners in attendance.
Do the pros of a re-vamped bus loop actually outweigh the cons?
According to the planners, every choice has pros and cons. They looked at the data and made choices based on that.
Who are the decision makers and how can we influence them?
With regards to the capital planning at the district:
What can be done about the incomplete sidewalks on the south side of 212th Street?
That is a city or county issue.
Why are the new schools proposed without their own field space?
Field space is a part of the proposal.
What are the field surfaces? Dirt, grass, turf, ….
Field surfaces will remain as they are (dirt in the baseball/softball fields, grass in the football field, gravel in the tract, etc.). There are no plans to change those at this time.
Are the trees (5 large cedar) near the current Skyview entrance coming down?
Planners also noted that there is an abundance of new landscaping that will be installed concurrent with all the changes, including the addition of a large number of shrubs.
What is the width of the proposed new bus lane/turnaround?
Two lanes wide.
What does the proposed field space look like?
The only changes to field spaces will be to the rear baseball field at Skyview. That field will be reduced and will be sized as a softball field. The front baseball field will remain unchanged. It was noted that this configuration (one full-size baseball field, one full-size softball field) is the same as Bothell High School's configuration.
What are the measurements of the track, walkway, football field, and small field?
The football field and track remain unchanged. The small field will be a regulation softball field. There will be two separate walkways, one running along each side of the new proposed bus loop, which runs in between the track/football field and the baseball/softball fields.
Will there be bleachers facing the football field.
Yes.
Will there be bleachers on the small field?
Yes.
How many tennis courts?
The tennis courts will remain as is.
Are there seats by the tennis courts?
The seating will remain as is.
What security upgrades will be made at Canyon Creek to make the campus more secure?
Security upgrades will be determined on a site-by-site basis and planning is still in progress. Listed possibilities include, but are not limited to: campus access control, cameras, fencing and door hardware.
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We hope the above Q&A responses help answer questions you have.
Still have questions?
Review the 2018 Bond and Levies information available on NSD website.
Email the NSD Communications Department at bondlevy@nsd.org.
View project details:
Project files, plans and documents are available for viewing and/or copying (at the requestor’s cost) and
are located at the Department of Community Development, Bothell City Hall, 18415 101st Ave NE, Bothell,
WA 98011. Please phone (425) 806-6400 and arrange a time to view these documents prior to your
visitation to the Department.
1/23/2018
