AGENDA #4c
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Capital Investment Plan: Potential Gymnasium at the Meadowmont Elementary School
The attached resolution would requestthe Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board to include a gymnasium in the Meadowmont Elementary School, and also would request that the Orange County Commissioners increase the budget for the Meadowmont Elementary School to include the funding necessary to build a gymnasium suitable for community use.
This memorandum describes the potential benefits and costs of constructing a gymnasium at Meadowmont Elementary School instead of a standard elementary school multi-purpose room and recommends a course of action.
At the time that the Scroggs Elementary School was constructed, the Council requested that the Schools consider building a gymnasium in-lieu of a multi-purpose room. The school system indicated that they were too far into the financing and planning phase of development to explore adding a gymnasium. However, they indicated that for future elementary schools the question should be raised early in the planning process.
The Chair of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board has requested that the Town comment on any potential need for a gymnasium for the proposed Meadowmont School. On February 12, 2001 the Council referred the issue to the Parks & Recreation Commission and the Manager for comment.
DISCUSSION
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board estimates that building a gymnasium instead of a multi-purpose room would cost about $715,000. The Board notes that they are not requesting these funds for the proposed school at Meadowmont or the proposed elementary school number 10. They note that they would expect any funding to come from the County or the Town. Please see page 3 of the attached memorandum.
Most elementary schools are served by a multi-purpose room for large group indoor activities. These rooms are generally not suitable for basketball, volleyball, or other team sports that require large spaces and high ceilings. In addition to dimension and height considerations, multi-purpose rooms generally have other constraints such as floor markings for non-athletic activities, stages, and other fixed or moveable features.
We currently use the Scroggs multi-purpose room for limited basketball practice time. However the facility cannot be used for games due to the constraints mentioned above.
Potential Effect on Parks & Recreation Programming: We believe that it would be beneficial to our long-term parks program if elementary schools number 9 and 10 were equipped with gymnasiums rather than multi-purpose rooms. We currently have no gymnasiums planned for the Meadowmont area.
Currently our 3 gymnasiums, Northside, Lincoln and Estes Drive Community Center, are programmed to capacity from fall until spring. During prime basketball season we have severely reduced the numbers of hours available for unstructured play and have eliminated almost all rentals of these facilities. Another gymnasium would allow us to increase the number of hours of unstructured play, rent the existing facilities to community groups, and allow for other activities.
The term of the Town’s lease of Lincoln Gym from the Board of Education terminates at the end of 2007.
Budget Considerations: We currently have a large backlog of capital improvement program projects including new park development, park and facility renovations, and greenways. At this time the $1.2 million currently reserved for the Homestead Park aquatics facility is the only potential source of funds that would be large enough to pay for the conversion of the multi-purpose room to a gymnasium.
Parks & Recreation Commission’s Recommendation: The Commission met on March 21, 2001 to discuss this issue. Their recommendation will be distributed separately.
Manager’s Recommendation: That the Council make a request to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board to include a gymnasium in the Meadowmont Elementary School and a make a request that the Orange County Commissioners increase the budget for the Meadowmont Elementary School to include the funding necessary to build a gymnasium suitable for community use.
1. Petition Receiving and Referring the Memorandum Concerning the Schools Capital Investment Plan (p. 4).
RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT THE CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO CITY SCHOOL BOARD AND THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS INCREASE THE BUDGET FOR THE MEADOWMONT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO INCLUDE THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING NECESSARY TO CONVERT THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM TO A GYMNASIUM (2001-03-26/R-3)
WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board has requested that the Council comment on any potential need for a gymnasium for the proposed elementary school to be located in the Meadowmont development and;
WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board and the Orange County Board of Commissioners will set the funding for the Meadowmont Elementary School;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill requests that the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board include a gymnasium in the Meadowmont Elementary School; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council requests that the Orange County Commissioners increase the budget for the Meadowmont Elementary School to include the funding necessary to build a gymnasium suitable for community use.
This the 26th day of March, 2001.