Orange County NC Website
Attachment 1 <br />Revised for BOCC approval on 10/17/00 <br />• Once a system acquires a site and before grading begins, each school system <br />receives State approval of its erosion control plan and additional County review to <br />ensure that unnecessary cutting of trees or clearing of land does not occur. <br />Adequate natural buffers are to be left intact with existing trees, or replanted if the <br />areas are disturbed during construction. Special attention should be paid to <br />"specimen" trees as outlined in the County land development code: <br />Road and Utility Requirements -Major elements for a system to consider in siting a <br />new facility relate to infrastructure~requirements by a Town or other public utility. In <br />same recent instances, the systems have been required to provide costly infrastructure <br />such as sidewalks and road improvements. These elements greatly inflate <br />construction costs of new facilities. As a system begins initial planning, there should <br />be a joint meeting between elected Town, County and Education officials to discuss <br />particulaz requirements that all parties expect of other project partners. <br />3. Building Design Standards <br />As a school system selects a particular facility design, it is important that the most cast-effective <br />.design alternative be pursued. Historically in Orange County, new school buildings have been <br />designed uniquely for each particular project. The Board of Commissioners encourages systems <br />to pursue non-traditional, or prototype, designs that can be replicated for use on more than one <br />project. Should a system choose a unique design, it is to provide a detailed cost comparison <br />analysis and justification in writing of why that particular approach was chosen over a <br />pratorype design. <br />~. Construction Standards <br />Over the past few years, the County has given special attention to defining construction <br />standards for each. school level -elementary, middle and high schools. The standards provide a <br />minimum and maximum square footage and student capacity for each level. As a system <br />undertakes construction of a new facility, it is critical that the system adheres to the most recent <br />school construction standazds (estimated project cost should include a reasonable allowance for <br />inflation). <br />The Commissioners agree to provide funding for new school facilities that are designed within <br />the adopted standards. They do not agree to fund projects that go beyond the adopted. standards <br />unless there is sufficient justification provided in writing by the Boazd of Education. One <br />justification for going beyond the standards centers on community use of the new facility. For <br />example, a system may design a facility with a "lazger than standards gymnasium" that allows <br />for citizen/commurutyuse. In this case, the system must provide detailed explanations outlining <br />the benefits to be offered to the community and citizens, in the context of the intergovernmental <br />"Memorandum of Agreement for Providing Coordinated Site and Facility Planning". <br />5 <br />Page 3 of 6 <br />Policy on Planning and Funding School Capital Projects <br />