Minutes 04/23/1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

THURSDAY, APRIl, 23, 1998 A special meeting of the Council of the City of Martinsville, Virginia, with Mayor George B. Adams, Jr. presiding, was held Thursday, April 23, 1998, in the Council Chamber, City Hall, beginning at 10:00 A.M. The purpose of the special meeting was to hear presentations on various Capital Projects, relative to Couneil's overall Budget discussions. The following members of Council were present: George B. Adams, Jr., Mayor; f"'Dr. Mark A. Crabtree, Vice-Mayor, Bruce H. T. Dallas, Elizabeth H. Haskell, and M. Gene Teague. Council began their meeting with a presentation on the Albert Harris School Renovation Project. Dr. Ira Trollinger, Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Rayford Smith, Architect, and Mr. John Mosely, Architect, made this presentation. Elements of the project covered in the presentation included interior elements, site work, traffic issues, staff and visitor parking, bus staging areas, and event parking needs. Although not technically an element of the Albert Harris Project, Mr. Smith and Mr. Mosely encouraged Council to approve improvements to the intersection of Smith Road and Fayette Street currently under Council' s consideration, citing these improvements as directly beneficial to the Albert Harris Project. In response to questions on whether parking needs related to use of the auditorium at the school had been considered, Mr. Smith stated that additional parking for special events at the auditorium had not been provided for, due to the sacrifice of playground area that this would require. Council Member Dallas expressed concerns about the planned bus lane on Smith Road, stating that there seemed to be a greater hazard to children having buses load and unload there, and that having such a loading zone in this location would detract from the appearance of the building. Dr. Trollinger indicated that use of the entrance on the other side of the school by the parents provided more stacking lanes for that traffic, and that bus traffic could more easily access the Smith Road side of the school. Mr. Smith stated that both he and the review committee felt that the proposed arrangement was the best compromise solution. Mr. Dallas continued to express his disagreement with this arrangement, stating that it was his desire to see the Albert Harris Facility serve as an example of the best school in the system, and that this arrangement for bus traffic was an unacceptable design. The discussion moved on to the review of what was planned for the interior of the facility. Items discussed included preservation of original tile walls and