Post by JB on Apr 17, 2008 6:44:11 GMT -6
Metea Valley set for '09 opening
District releases environmental reports for new school location
April 17, 2008
By Tim Waldorf twaldorf@scn1.com
It took four weeks for Indian Prairie District 204 to secure permission to release the environmental study results for the 87-acre land configuration of Metea Valley High School at Eola Road.
But, without Midwest Generation in the picture, it took just four days for District 204 and St. John AME Church to compile and release all of the pertinent environmental information for the new 84-acre plan.
How does that work? What kind of worthwhile environmental study can be done over a weekend?
District 204 board President Mark Metzger explained, saying the Phase I Environmental Site Assessments posted on District 204's Web site Tuesday were completed long before the board voted to purchase the property Monday. A portion of those results are the same as the studies released during the April 7 board meeting. The other portion is the Phase I ESA that St. John AME commissioned so it could be annexed into Aurora.
"What you have if you take the Phase I that we released today, and the Phase I that we released last week, collectively, that's an entire Phase I report for all of the 84.1 acres of the AME land, plus the Midwest Generation land," he said.
According to the e-mail Superintendent Stephen Daeschner sent to the community Tuesday afternoon, Testing Services Corporation, which conducted the studies, indicated "no environmental issues have been identified associated with the agricultural usage of the property," and "none of the off-site facilities is considered a threat to have impacted the site."
The district also has announced a construction timeline for the 3,000-seat high school, which the district still intends to open for freshmen and sophomores in the fall of 2009. The district had hoped to break ground by now, but, according to Dave Holm, assistant superintendent for finance, it has adjusted those plans by the two weeks it thinks it will take the district to actually close the land deal with St. John AME.
Having already approved numerous contracts for construction services and materials for Metea contingent upon the property's purchase, the district now plans to break ground May 7 - the same day it expects Aurora's planning commission to amended its annexation plans. Holm said the district will begin by building the classroom space needed to open the school on time, then turn its attention to the completion of portions of the building that don't have to be done when the doors open - areas such as the auditorium, swimming pool and other amenities.
District releases environmental reports for new school location
April 17, 2008
By Tim Waldorf twaldorf@scn1.com
It took four weeks for Indian Prairie District 204 to secure permission to release the environmental study results for the 87-acre land configuration of Metea Valley High School at Eola Road.
But, without Midwest Generation in the picture, it took just four days for District 204 and St. John AME Church to compile and release all of the pertinent environmental information for the new 84-acre plan.
How does that work? What kind of worthwhile environmental study can be done over a weekend?
District 204 board President Mark Metzger explained, saying the Phase I Environmental Site Assessments posted on District 204's Web site Tuesday were completed long before the board voted to purchase the property Monday. A portion of those results are the same as the studies released during the April 7 board meeting. The other portion is the Phase I ESA that St. John AME commissioned so it could be annexed into Aurora.
"What you have if you take the Phase I that we released today, and the Phase I that we released last week, collectively, that's an entire Phase I report for all of the 84.1 acres of the AME land, plus the Midwest Generation land," he said.
According to the e-mail Superintendent Stephen Daeschner sent to the community Tuesday afternoon, Testing Services Corporation, which conducted the studies, indicated "no environmental issues have been identified associated with the agricultural usage of the property," and "none of the off-site facilities is considered a threat to have impacted the site."
The district also has announced a construction timeline for the 3,000-seat high school, which the district still intends to open for freshmen and sophomores in the fall of 2009. The district had hoped to break ground by now, but, according to Dave Holm, assistant superintendent for finance, it has adjusted those plans by the two weeks it thinks it will take the district to actually close the land deal with St. John AME.
Having already approved numerous contracts for construction services and materials for Metea contingent upon the property's purchase, the district now plans to break ground May 7 - the same day it expects Aurora's planning commission to amended its annexation plans. Holm said the district will begin by building the classroom space needed to open the school on time, then turn its attention to the completion of portions of the building that don't have to be done when the doors open - areas such as the auditorium, swimming pool and other amenities.
