Site Selection - Final

We have discussed many aspects of site selection for school campuses, this is the final installment.

A major consideration in selecting the proper site for your school campus is the surrounding roads and highways. How will your students and staff get to the campus? In too many instances I have seen schools built with only one street access. I realize that this may be the only land available and the only road with access to your site, but you must consider the implications that this will have to your campus. The safety and security of students and parents as they enter and exit the campus is of the utmost importance. 

If the access is to a state highway, the State Highway Dept will have jurisdiction about where and how many access points you will be allowed to the road. If you believe that because of traffic safety reasons there should be a stop light at the entrance/exits to the campus, typically the Highway Dept will require a traffic study to be done, (at your cost) to prove that the light is necessary. In Texas, the cost of the traffic light is the responsibility of the school. This may not be the case in other states. Negotiations and planning with the Highway Dept is not a fast process. Plan enough time ahead so that this phase of the project does not delay the design and construction of your school.

We always recommend having at least two access points to your site as a minimum. This will assist in spreading out the traffic load and being able to separate the bus traffic from the parents. Multiple pick up and drop off points and having the bus traffic separated are key elements in having a safe site. Plan the drop offs to be long enough that cars are not standing on the street right of way. 

The trend in the last 10 to 15 years has been that small neighborhood schools are being consolidated into larger campuses. Students no longer walk to school, even if they are only a few blocks away. Parents are driving their students to school or they are riding the bus. Not many students walk or ride bikes as in my day. I say all that to help us all realize that you must plan for more vehicles coming to your school campus and plan a safe and effective way to get the students in your school.

Michael D. King AIA

Site Selection - Part 3

When considering a new site for a school building always keep in mind the utilities that are available to the site. Most sites have electricity nearby but find out from your power company if single phase or if three phase power is readily available. Your school will need three phase power to effectively handle the electrical load. Single phase will work, but will be more costly for the conductors, the electrical panels and switch gear. 

Another cost savings will be if natural gas is available to the site. Generally speaking utilizing natural gas to heat your school is more cost effective than electricity. This is not true if you are considering a geo thermal mechanical system however. Engaging a mechanical engineer to study the cost differential of the air conditioning and heating systems will tell you if utilizing natural gas is the most cost effective for your site. The distance to connect the gas line to the main will have a major impact on your cost comparison. The main line may simply be too far to connect and cost too much to run a line to serve your school. This is a cost that the school would pick up, the utility company will not pay for the extension of the gas line. 

Check to see if the site is within city limits and can be served with water and sanitary sewer. If you are outside of the city limits you may still be within the city ETJ (extra territorial jurisdiction). This is the area just outside of cities that will eventually be annexed into the city. Some or all of the ETJ may have water and sanitary sewer service. If you are in a rural area there is most likely a water district that will have the services available. If not, you would have to provide the school a water source such as a well and sewer service of septic tanks and leach fields for smaller buildings or full treatment plants for larger schools. These would be governed by the local water district or county. 

Effective planning for the utilities to your site will let you know up front what the cost impact will be on your overall budget. You can't afford to wait until the construction has started to bring utilities to your site. Start the process early in the planning phase as it takes time to bring the needed utilities to your site.

Michael King AIA