Thank you to John Crittenden and Jim Renkert for expressing the flawed design proposed for the replacement of Inlet View Elementary. Their opinion that the current site redevelopment plan and proposed location for the new building unexplainably ignores the very significant matter of northern climate building orientation makes sense to this lifelong/sun-starved Anchorage resident.
Everything John and Jim pointed out relating to the failures of the plan to maximize sunlight for the entire property is reasonable, relevant, and worth review before this $50 million project begins. Having been involved in early capital improvement planning for this renovation/replacement, to me, the main advantage of the plan which has become favored, is keeping the old building operating while the new building is being constructed — which forces the new building to the wrong side of the property for maximizing southern exposure. It’s concerning that this inferior plan will advance to construction and exist for the next 50-plus years because of the potential short-term inconvenience of closing the campus for two years.
For similar ASD elementary school renovation projects, moving staff and students to other schools during active construction has been the standard — a responsible policy, given that it would be wrong, unsafe and distracting for children to attend so near to an active large-scale construction site.
For these reasons and serious concerns related to the traffic engineering for 13th Avenue and Inlet Place, I very much hope that it is not too late to address the current site layout design and “spin it” so that the new school and grounds correctly capture the optimal share of the precious sunlight available.
— Edwin Blair
Anchorage
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