Architectual rendering of proposed mixed use gymnasium at Los Alamos Middle School selected by Los Alamos County Council and School Board during Monday night’s joint meeting. Courtesy/LAC
By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com
The Los Alamos School Board and County Council moved a step closer Monday evening to the goal of building a multi-use gymnasium at Los Alamos Middle School (LAMS).
The two bodies met in joint session to approve a plan for the building. The facility is planned to house, not only LAMS activities, but also be open to use by the public when not in use by the school.
Since the group last met Feb. 28, public comment has been solicited through a survey and June 1 public meeting. At Monday’s meeting, FBT Architects Sanjay Engineer and Drew Fisher presented a more complete version of their report on the three sites and three building plans under consideration.
Public Works Project Manager Sara Rhoton provided background on the gym plan. Although voters rejected a bond to build a multi-use community gym in 2017, the idea of combining a community gym with a new middle school gym revived the idea, she said.
A state capital outlay grant to the County for project planning and design expenses has allowed the project to move forward.
LAMS Principal Jill Gonzales laid out the reasons LAMS needs a new gymnasium.
“We have a very small gym,” she said. “We have three fulltime PE teachers who often need to run practices at the same time. We also need a larger space for events. If we add a sixth grade to the middle school, this future gym will accommodate that.”
In addition, the student body at LAMS is expected to grow, even without the sixth graders due to new construction, Gonzales said.
“We are definitely a growing district, and we should plan for it,” Councilor David Izraelevitz said.
Engineer and Fisher laid out the pros and cons of the three sites under consideration in a neutral manner, but it was clear the Board and Council were moving toward selecting Site C. Site C was the first choice in public survey results, completed by 410 citizens by a significant majority. It also was the site approved by the Parks and Recreation Board.
Several LAPS employees pointed to the lack of disruption to the middle school during the 15-18 months of construction as a reason to choose Site 3.
Also, the School Board had discussed the three sites at a previous meeting, and were on board with Site C, Board President Melanie Colgan said.
Likewise, the public survey and Parks Board both selected design Option 3, the largest of the three design plans presented, which would include two sets of locker rooms, separate entrances for students and the public, two extra rooms for multiple use and an indoor running track, in addition to a larger gym.
The architects explained that since Site C was the only site large enough for this option, choosing Option 3 made the choice of Site C imperative.
After some discussion of the three options, Option 3 was the overall favorite of the Board and Council.
Councilor David Reagor raised questions about the cost.
“I think we need a referendum on the expense of this project,” he said. “Ask the voters.”
Option 3 could be constructed in two phases to spread out the cost, Fisher explained, but the overall cost would be higher.
In the end, the School Board voted unanimously (Erin Green was absent) for a motion made by Board Member Ellen Specter to endorse directing County and School staff to move forward with future planning on Site C and the largest gym option, Option 3.
The Council passed a similar resolution made by Councilor Sara Scott to select Site C and naming Option 3, the largest of the three options, as its preference for development. Councilor Reagor voted no. The rest of the councilors voted in favor of the motion. Reagor cited his hesitation to proceed without more community buy-in as the reason for his no vote.
“It is a pleasure to work with the County on this project,” LAPS Superintendent Jose Delfin said. “It’s so tremendous to see these projects between the schools and the County.”