OPTIONS SCHOOL HEARING

[Patrick McKee]

The new Options High School will be built in a Light Industrial Zone of the Sunnyland Neighborhood. A school is not a "permitted use" in a light industrial zone. Therefore, the School District must apply for a Conditional Use Permit in order to build the school. The District has submitted an application, and a Public Hearing is scheduled for May 18, 2016. A notice will be sent to all property owners within 500ft of the proposed new school at 2015 Franklin St, ten days before the hearing. The Bellingham Hearing Examiner will conduct the hearing, and will take public testimony and written comments.

The Hearing Examiner will decide whether or not to grant the permit based on criteria spelled out in Bellingham Municipal Code 20.16. Project requirements, such as parking are spelled out in BMC 20.12.010.

Educate yourself about this proposed new school, and participate in the public process

From: Patrick McKee

[Josh Parrish]

FWIW - I'm pretty excited about the new school, but concerned about how it might affect the bike path through there.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Sunnyland Neighborhood Association" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sunnyland+...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Mike Estes]

There are a ton of high resolution design documents and meeting minutes on the district website.

I one point I thought the bike trail was going to be re-aligned to Franklin street, basically following the dirt trail that cuts through the grass. Would be nice to confirm what happens to the bike trail in these plans.

-Mike

[Theresa Tripp]

Hi All,

There will be a meeting on Monday...details forthcoming as I need to get a confirmation from the school district rep Tanya. This is a last minute compromise as many people in the neighborhood, including myself, were never notified...I live exactly one block from Options and 43 feet beyond the said 500' notification zone that was given to the school district by the COB.

Mike - my understanding is that the bike route will be re-routed through the area that you are speaking about. I personally, am very much in favor of the reroute. I am told that it will be lighted and more visible to the school so students will not be able to hang out on the path smoking and littering. 

Cheers,

Theresa

Work Like you don't need the money,
Love like you have never been hurt,
Live as though heaven is on Earth.
 -Susanna Clark and Richard Leigh

Sent from Yahoo Mail. Check it out

[Tim Paxton]

----- Original Message -----
From: "'Patrick McKee' via Sunnyland Neighborhood Association"
<sunn...@googlegroups.com>

[Theresa Tripp]

Update to Options High School - Meeting Monday April 18

Several Sunnyland neighbors have requested to meet with Bellingham Public Schools to discuss the new Options High School project. Some neighbors have shared concerns about the size of the school, traffic and parking. This new facility on Franklin Street (where the Options portables are currently located) will house Options High School, along with a variety of other district programs, which may include GRADS and career an...(tharr be more)d technical education (CTE) offerings. A committee made up of students, parents, community members and staff has been planning this project for more than a year; you can find information and the communications about this project here, including a current site and floor plan (this has been refined since the committee’s recommendation last year with more parking added). Construction on this project is scheduled to begin this June.

If you have interest in this project, please take a moment to review the latest site plans online and/or feel free to call Ron Cowan, Executive Director of Capital Projects and School Facilities at 676-6521.

Or, you are invited to attend an informational meeting with district staff and neighbors from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 18 at Options High School. Anyone is welcome to attend. At this meeting, there will be an opportunity to learn more, view plans, ask questions and discuss any concerns. 

email to sunnyland+unsub...@googlegroups.com.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Sunnyland Neighborhood Association" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sunnyland+unsub...@googlegroups.com.

[Theresa Tripp]

Patrick? Mickey? Polly? Mike? Can anyone confirm who the MNAC rep and main contact for the Sunnyland Neighborhood Association is? Can anyone confirm if the SNA or the MNAC rep received any notification about Options High School anytime in the last year?

Cheers.

Theresa

Work Like you don't need the money,
Love like you have never been hurt,
Live as though heaven is on Earth.
 -

Susanna Clark and Richard Leigh

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sunnyland+...@googlegroups.com.

[rojo...@gmail.com]

Henry and Mickey received no notification. But, we also don't live in the minimal 500' radius of the proposal so wouldn't expect to hear officially but would consider the proper thing to do as sending out a mailer to the entire neighborhood for a project of this scope and impact. 

HB

T-Mobile. America's First Nationwide 4G Network.

------ Original message------

From: 'Theresa Tripp' via Sunnyland Neighb...

Date: Sat, Apr 16, 2016 10:19 PM

To: sunn...@googlegroups.com;

Subject:Re: OPTIONS SCHOOL HEARING

Patrick? Mickey? Polly? Mike? Can anyone confirm who the MNAC rep and main contact for the Sunnyland Neighborhood Association is? Can anyone confirm if the SNA or the MNAC rep received any notification about Options High School anytime in the last year?

Cheers.
Theresa

Work Like you don't need the money,
Love like you have never been hurt,
Live as though heaven is on Earth.
 -Susanna Clark and Richard Leigh

On Thursday, April 14, 2016 5:58 PM, 'Theresa Tripp' via Sunnyland Neighborhood Association > wrote:

Update to Options High School - Meeting Monday April 18

Several Sunnyland neighbors have requested to meet with Bellingham Public Schools to discuss the new Options High School project. Some neighbors have shared concerns about the size of the school, traffic and parking. This new facility on Franklin Street (where the Options portables are currently located) will house Options High School, along with a variety of other district programs, which may include GRADS and career an...(tharr be more)d technical education (CTE) offerings. A committee made up of students, parents, community members and staff has been planning this project for more than a year; you can find information and the communications about this project here, including a current site and floor plan (this has been refined since the committee’s recommendation last year with more parking added). Construction on this project is scheduled to begin this June.

If you have interest in this project, please take a moment to review the latest site plans online and/or feel free to call Ron Cowan, Executive Director of Capital Projects and School Facilities at 676-6521.

Or, you are invited to attend an informational meeting with district staff and neighbors from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 18 at Options High School. Anyone is welcome to attend. At this meeting, there will be an opportunity to learn more, view plans, ask questions and discuss any concerns. 

[Tim Paxton]

From City of Bellingham Street / Alley Vacation guidelines:

 

" Right of way ADJACENT  or leading to any park, OPEN SPACE, view or natural area or any other natural or man made attraction should not be vacated." 

 

 

 Violation of City of Bellingham Street Vacation Policies.    Bellingham High School Soccer field / Baseball fields are open space areas.

[Tim Paxton]

Options High School Parking

400 Students 16-21 years is the target age for the school. @ 25% spaces
per COB code = 100 spaces needed. By Code.
24 Staff / teachers (one space per 15 classrooms = 24 spaces needed.
184 Seat Theater = 46 spaces needed BY CODE!
719 Seat Gymnasium = 179 spaces needed BY CODE

Total of 349 spaces needed. 16 of them Americans with Disability Act
compatible. 42 New spaces on site.

Best Worst Case is 719 Gym filled seat and teachers in class room = 179 + 15
= 194 spaces needed still.

Options will have 42 new spaces on site that they control!


BHS and Assumption will likely "share" Options parking spaces as likely as
reverse.

Assumption Church over fills its parking by 165 cars regularly. Masses,
funerals, events, Harvest Festival, weddings, Jr. Ski to Sea, Sea to Ski
parade, LGBT parade, etc.
BHS overflows its parking during events. Concerts, Play, sporting events,
evangelical meetings, 3 on 3 tourney, running races, Relay races, Sport
tournements, Dances, etc.
Hope house has no parking.

[David Donohue]

What time and where is this evening's meeting regarding Options HS?

[Tom McNeely]

Hi David,

The meeting is at 5:30 (yikes, that's in ten minutes!) at Options High School.  Alas, I do not have a building/room number, but hopefully it will become apparent upon arrival.

Thanks,

Tom McNeely  (An ally from the Lettered Streets)

---

From: David Donohue <dsdo...@gmail.com>
To: sunn...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, April 18, 2016 4:56 PM

Subject: Re: OPTIONS SCHOOL HEARING

[Tim Paxton]

Some Observations from the Options High "meeting".

The 5:30 pm meeting was of course only a fake meeting to let the School
District pretend that they "heard" concerns of the 30 or so people who came.
It was about 85 degrees inside. No AC for the peasants. No real
participation.

A mediator pretended to write "concerns" on a white board, for them to
ignore. My comment was unable to be transferred to paper. Ink ran out.

Zervas Architects had CAD plan drawings up on boards for people to admire.

The actual hearing is May 18th in front of the City's Hearing Examiner.
Comments still being accepted. bsm...@cob.org (reportedly.)

Some key facts that came out.

No concern they didn't follow the COB law on notification ordinance..
"Things were handled professionally."
No concern that their Project Desciption was a perfect Project
Non-Description.
There was no site study.
No, no other sites were looked at.
No traffic study was done. (Remember a little girl killed a block away at a
crosswalk?)
A nasty lecture about parking was performed. The learned lecturer left out
the 719 new gym seats: 189.new spaces needed. He did say we
need to accept their krazed parking assumptions and suck it up. Just get
over it. No, he had no actual facts, but his opinion and made up facts.

Greg "heard our concerns" and sincerely "thanks us" (X twenty times)

A cheery school board member showed her complete support while her partner
tried to loudly shut down actual questions/comments.

Bellingham Council Member Hammill was very angry that someone actually
wanted
their question answered. He then importantly stormed out early to go to
another meeting to pretend
to listen at.

No DOE required bioswale reconstruction permit obtained. SEPA Checklist?
No concern about High Voltage 125Kva Power lines overhead. EMF radiation,
yawn...
No concern about building atop large gas line. Exploding students, et c.
No concern that Bond Issue Voters don't know about this project in a super
tiny, crappy location.
No plans to look at any other site.
No, they really don't care about Power Lines, Gas Pipelines, Toxic formerly
waste
stored on site. Rail car dumpings, etc.
No other concerns from the School District.

Greg hinted he could have brought more sycophantic supporters to shout us
down but
decided a fake meeting in a 85 degree room was enough punishment..

The issue was not the Options School, but the terrible site and process and
of course lying
public servants..

Greg Baker, Superintendent, summed up his fake meeting by saying : "We
heard you, we professionaly learned something, we look forward to seeing
you at the opening ceremony in a year!" (See ya! Suckers!)