Wascher plans get green light

By LAUREN L. DILLARD

Of The News-Register

LAFAYETTE - Encountering no opposition at a public hearing Thursday night, the Lafayette Planning Commission approved McMinnville School District plans for expansion of Wascher Elementary School.

"The reason we are having this expansion is that the surrounding area has grown with single-family homes," said City Planner Skip Wendolowski, who recommended approval.

According to architect Steve Olson, of Dull Olson Weekes, the district plans to add seven classrooms to the north side of the school, build a cafeteria and kitchen facility north of the new classroom wing, expand school parking and develop a new turn-around area at the far end of the parking lot. He said the expansion would give the school a design capacity of 490 students.

"It's being designed to accommodate seven more classrooms in the future," Olson said. That, he said, would give Wascher a capacity of 600, the current district standard.

The district is proposing to install enough racks to accommodate 60 bikes, up from 30. However, that falls short of the standard established in Lafayette city ordinance - six bike spaces per classroom - so the district requested a variance from that requirement.

The council was advised, "A significant number of students are bused to this school. Sixty bike spots is a reasonable minimum based on experience with other schools."

Former Mayor Darrell Flood asked why the architects didn't go ahead and meet terms of the ordinance anyway.

"We're proposing double what we currently use," said school board member Stan Primozich. He said the district would rather see the money spent elsewhere.