The Oconto Falls School Board on Monday approved the redesign proposal of parking lots and entrance points at Abrams Elementary.
The design, prepared by project manager Rettler Corporation, is intended to create a safer traffic flow, additional parking and better surface drainage.
All traffic comes into the school parking lot at one intersection now, whereas the new design provides three entrance points.
“The bus traffic would not cross with the pick-up, drop-off traffic. That’s one of the big issues now,” Superintendent Dave Polashek said.
The plan will also provide five times more parking, from 30 stalls to 158, when all parking lots are completed.
According to Polashek, the district plans to divide the project into components and begin the bidding process this winter.
Voters in August approved a referendum of $660,000 for the renovations, which include the demolition of the former United Methodist Church owned by the school district.
According to Polashek, the cost of the project could be higher than $660,000.
“If necessary, we would have to hold off on some of this for future work,” he said.
The design was presented to the Abrams School parent group and approved by the town of Abrams planning commission and Abrams Town Board. The proposal hit a snag, however, at the Oconto County Zoning Department when it was discovered one of the three parcels believed to be owned by the district was registered in the name of the United Methodist Church.
“What we want to do is try and get a certified survey map that has one parcel, instead of all these other little parcels,” Polashek said.
He said it will require some legal work to get this accomplished.
“That’s part of the whole process we’re going through,” he said.
Demolition of the church is scheduled in March when the Abrams Fire Department plans to take down the structure as a training exercise. Before that occurs, the district must remove or seal off the asbestos discovered in tar on the edge of the roof and in the caulking around several windows.
According to Polashek, these were the only two areas in which asbestos was found.
In addition, a 16-foot alley needs to be discontinued by the Abrams Town Board in order for the renovations to be completed.
A final component of the project will be signs placed at the new Main Street entrance to welcome people to Abrams School, Polashek said.
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