Agenda - 12-01-1998 - 10b - Laserfiche WebLink

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Technical Report • 12 averages" were calculated, including figures for the number of square feet of building and land area per student, and compared to the adopted standards. The calculations are shown in Table 5. As evidenced by the comparison, the adopted standards for building size exceed the "local averages" in the elementary and middle school cases. Since new development cannot be required to raise the level of service standard, "local averages" must be used in calculating impact fees. DETERMINING THE COST OF ACCOMMODATING DEVELOPMENT Once physical quantities are established, costs must be determined. The manner in which cost information is obtained or expressed is an important factor in establishing standards because the objective is first to determine capital improvement cost per unit of development and then determine a proportionate share of those costs. It follows that standards, costs, and shares of costs must be in consistent units. The best source of this data are actual local records. Fortunately, such records for new school construction in Orange County are available. The New Hope Elementary School opened in 1991, the new A.L. Stanback Middle School in 1995, the McDougle Middle School in 1994, the McDougle Elementary School in 1996, and the East Chapel Hill High School in 1996. Using cost data for these projects as well as information from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction and the architects of the School Boards, the School Facility Constructions Standards Work Group was able to calculate the estimated cost of new elementary and middle schools. These costs and the capital cost per student for each type of facility are shown in Table 6. Cost estimates for new high school facilities are based on the construction costs for East Chapel Hill High School opened in 1996. As noted previously, there were no long -range plans for the construction of a new high school in the county in 1995, and the Work Group did not address high school facility standards. However, both school districts have identified the need for additions to existing high school facilities during the ten -year school improvement program period and Orange County has identified the need for a new High School.. Classroom space for an additional 500 students as well as a cultural arts building and auditorium, a second gymnasium, an infant and pre - school facility, and athletic facilities are needed at the new East Chapel Hill High School by the year 2002. These facilities are needed to complete sections of the school that were eliminated during initial construction. The estimated cost for these additions and the capital cost per student are shown in Table 7. Multiplying the service provision standards, per demand unit, by the capital cost per unit of service establishes the capital improvement cost per unit of development. This also may be expressed as a formula: Total Cost = Needed Improvements x Cost Per Unit