• 43°
Hartselle Enquirer

Wetlands take big bite out of school budget

The mitigation of eight to nine acres of wetlands on the Bethel Road site for the new Hartselle High School is going to take an estimated $450,000 bite out of a $40 million budget, according to Findley Frazer, director of environmental engineering for the architectural firms of Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood.
Frazer addressed the wetlands issue at the June 28 meeting of Hartselle School Board.
He said two options were pursued in seeking the most economically feasible way to deal with the wetlands and a stream that runs through the 55-acre site: Purchase credits from a wetlands bank and pipe the water underground or divert the stream and use it to establish a water feature along the west and south sides of the school property.
“I have talked with an individual who has a wetland mitigation bank and has acreage to sell,” he said. “The quote I got was $450,000 and that does not include the cost of pipe and moving dirt to locate the stream underground. I learned that the pipe alone would cost about $400,000, after talking to a couple of contractors.”
The diversion of the stream and its use as a water feature and outdoor classroom will cost much less – about $450,000 – and will offer an educational benefit, Frazer said. It would also generate about 15,000 yards of dirt for use in building up the foundation for the school building.
“We’ve completed plans for the water feature and are ready to submit them to the U.S. Corps of Engineers for permit consideration if that is your desire,” he said. “A permit request of this nature will involve a 30-day public notice and usually takes about four months.”
In response to questions from board member Dr. James Joy, Frazer said the water feature would probably not have stream flow year round but would be reduced to standing ponds of water during dry period and its shallow banks would be covered by flowering plants, visible from classrooms and hallways on the south side of the school building as well as the cafeteria.
“In others words, you wouldn’t be able to see the stream from a distance?” Joy asked.
“That’s right,” Frazer answered.
Bill Wallace, executive vice president of the architectural firm, said plans -–traffic, environment al and building—are on schedule.
“Our target is to have the design and engineering phase completed and be ready to go out for bids next January,” he said. “The building will be ready for occupancy at the start of the 2012 school year. “
“I know we’re all excited and want to see the building get out of the ground,” Reed said. From the beginning I said planning will take a year. It makes me feel good that planning is on schedule.”

At a Glance

PowerGrid Services in Hartselle evacuated for bomb threat

Morgan County

20 under 40: Trey Chowning

Falkville

20 under 40: TJ Holmes

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Spencer Bell

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Shelby Keenum

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Rachel Howard

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Mary Virgina Halbrooks

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Maggie McKelvey

Decatur

20 under 40: Maegan Jones

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Lindsey Tapscott

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

‘He lets us have sex’: More details emerge on Hartselle man accused of child exploitation 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Hartselle church creates Easter-themed escape rooms 

Danville

Family tradition: State livestock show legacy spans generations

Editor's picks

Baseball for Beau: More than $8k raised for scholarship named after Hartselle child  

Falkville

20 under 40: Lela Weeks

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Kalleigh Thomas

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

20 under 40: Jaime Hatcher

Hartselle

Veteran Hartselle firefighter charged with possessing child porn

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Cerrowire expansion named finalist in Business Alabama Awards  

At a Glance

Work begins on repairing two bridges over I-65 in Morgan County in coming weeks

At a Glance

Tickets for Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame banquet available

Falkville

Morgan County volunteers celebrated at annual fire department banquet 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Man jailed for stealing car from jail after earlier release 

FRONT PAGE FEATURED

Police: Hartselle man encouraged children to have sex inside his apartment

x