architecture

planning
interiors

WMCRP
Michael C. Poness
Arthur E.
Robinson Jr

MEMORANDUM Deleted: ¶
¶
Date: July 25, 2006
To: File
From: WMCRP, Inc.
File: Bells Mill Elementary School Replacement (0609)
Re: Facilities Advisory Committee Meeting #1

Attending:
James Song – MCPS DOC - Director 240-314-1000
james_song@mcpsmd.org
Mike Shpur – MCPS DOC - Architect 240-314-1014
michael_shpur@mcpsmd.org
Adrienne Karamihas – MCPS DOC 240-314-1035
adrienne_l_kara mihas@mcpsmd.org
Jim Tokar – MCPS DOC - Proj. Manager 240-314-1008
james_r_tokar@mcpsmd.org
Michael Poness – WMCRP, Inc. 301-459-9500
mponess@wmcrparchitects.c om
David R. Whaples – WMCRP, Inc. 301-459-9500
dwhaples@wmcrparchitects.com
Kevin McPartland – WMCRP, Inc. 301-459-9500
kmcpartland@wmcrparchitects.com
Jerri Oglesby – Principal - BMES 301-469-1046
jerri_l_oglesby@mcpsmd.org
Mark Kelsch, MCPS Community Super. 301-315-7360
Harvey Levine,Inverness Forest Assoc. 301-299-9380
ifatreasurer@mac.com
Tim Burch - Potomac ES PTA 301-299-1105 timjburch@msn.com
Jana Abel - Parent 301-983-6581 jbabel1@comcast.net
Joy Gerber - Parent 301-765-9275 gerberfamily@comcast.net
Laurie Halverson - PTA - Parent 301-983-6453
lsh27@comcast.net
Melissa Kupferschmid - PTA
Merry Eisner - PTA 301-983-5225 merry@theeisners.net
Peggy Voughn - Gazette 301-280-3007 pvaughn@gazette.net
Laura Tyson - PTA - Parent 301-765-2195
Scott Rogers 301-414-5438 buzhong@verizon.net
Kody Safiran - PTA - Parent 301-765-0277 kody011@msn.com
Jeff Finke – Parent 301-983-5570 ajfinke@verizon.net
Eve Schiff - PTA 301-299-0451 adamevie@comcast.net
Dara Baylinson - Parent 301-299-0929 dara@baylinson.com
Sandra Max - Parent 301-299-7277 sandramax@msn.com

WALTON MADDEN COOPER ROBINSON PONESS, Inc. 301-459-9500 Fax 301-459-2639

Bells Mill Elementary School Replacement (0609)
Facilities Advisory Committee Meeting #1 (7/25/06)
Page 2

Maria P rawirodihardjo, MSDE 410-767-0102 mprawirod@msde.state.md.us

Mary Vause,Potomac Almanac
Anne Kraus, Parent
Marion & Phil Cantor –Parents
Julie Gem - Parent
Alexis Bakos – Parent
Rachel Ginsburg - Teacher
Sophia Wang - Teacher
240-477-2622
301-765-7044 annekraus@verizon.net
301-299-7071 cantorpm@verizon.net
301-983-5055 julie-steve@verizon.net
301-299-1973 bakosa@mail.nih .gov
301-515-8599 rachel_l_ginsburg@mcps.org
sophia_c_wang@mcps.org

1. Jim Tokar (MCPS Project Manager) called the meeting t o order, and
had everyone attending introduce themselves. Adrienne Karamihas
(MCPS Project Planner) then began her presentation on the ed.
spec.

Bells Mill Educational Specifications

2. The present capacity of Bells Mill Elementary School is 311

students. There are currently 468 students enrolled in the
school. The demographic projection is for 474 students the last
year of the CIP (the 2011 -2012 school year).

3. The proposed school will have a capacity of 609 students. The

core facilities (the gym, librar y, multi -purpose room, etc.) will
have a capacity of 640. This is one of the two standards set by
MCPS (the other standard is a 740 core capacity).

4. These capacities are based on a standard of 23 students per

standard classroom, 22 students per kindergart en. This can vary
somewhat based on staffing

5. Potomac Elementary is projected to be 134 students over utilized

in the last year of the CIP (2011 -2012 school year). Based on
the size that Bells Mill will be modernized at (609),
approximately 100 additiona l students could be accommodated at
Bells Mill ES. A Boundary Study will be done, including Potomac,
Seven Locks, and Bells Mill Elementary Schools; this study is not
part of our work today.

6. Two additional classrooms are required to bring the proposed

capacity of 609 up to the core capacity of 640. These two
classrooms are shown as a possible future addition. It would be
more economical to build these rooms now. MCPS will evaluate
whether these rooms should be built now, or reserved for a
possible futu re addition.

Design Presentation

7. Michael Poness (WMCRP) presented the proposed school design.

WALTON MADDEN COOPER ROBINSON PONESS, Inc. 301 -459-9500 Fax 301-459-2639
Bells Mill Elementary School Replacement (0609)
Facilities Advisory Committee Meeting #1 (7/25/06)
Page 3

8. The building designed for the Kendale site fits quite well on the
Bells Mill site. Using the existing curb cuts, the bus traffic
will be kept separate from pa rent drop -off traffic. The foot
paths from the adjacent neighborhood and day care center will be
maintained and integrated into the site plan. The ball field
area will be reconfigured and re -graded. The new piece of
playground equipment provided by the PTA will be saved and
reinstalled in the new play areas.

9. Some changes from the floor plan for the Kendale site were
necessary to accommodate the different needs of the new Bells
Mill school. The Multipurpose room - and perhaps the Media
Center- was reduce d in size. Four classrooms were added (two on
each floor), extending one classroom wing. The pre -kindergarten
room was placed at the front of the building, taking the place of
the Dual Purpose room.

10. The pre-kindergarten room works well at the front of t he

building; these very young children will not have to walk through
the building to reach their room. There is no need for pre -k to
be adjacent to the kindergarten rooms.

11. Three special education Autism rooms will be grouped together,

rather than scat tered among the other classrooms . Two of these
rooms (that are adjacent) will have a shared bathroom, and
additional sound control measures in the rooms will be evaluated.

12. The new computer lab will accommodate 30 computers ; the existing
computer lab hold s 24. There will also be computer stations in
the classrooms and Media Center. New computers will be provided.

13. The new Multipurpose room can accommodate about 200 students for
lunch, so all of the students in the school can have lunch in
three periods. Sound control treatments will be used in the
walls and ceiling of the Multipurpose room - as well as the gym
and music rooms.

14. A discussion ensued regarding the image of the school. The

differing roof forms and articulated massing of the building were
designed to break up the mass to a residential scale. This was
understood and appreciated. The colors selected - a grouping of
various earth tones (green, beige, terra -cotta and gray) - were
not as well received. It was requested that WMCRP provide
alternati ve color schemes.

Energy Efficient Design Features

WALTON MADDEN COOPER ROBINSON PONESS, Inc. 301 -459-9500 Fax 301-459-2639
Bells Mill Elementary School Replacement (0609)
Facilities Advisory Committee Meeting #1 (7/25/06)
Page 4

15. Classrooms are oriented for taking advantage of daylighting;

glass is provided throughout the building, and shaded where
necessary, to maximize natural light.

16. Materials have been selected for minimum en vironmental impact -

for example, low VOC emissions.

17. An efficient HVAC system is planned. Using a geothermal system

will be an alternate; this will incur a cost increase of about
20% to the HVAC system. The payback time for this additional
cost had been projected at about 13 years, but higher energy
costs could reduce this time.

18. Updated design standards have been used throughout.

Planned Schedule

19. Bells Mill is scheduled to leave its current facility in December

2007 and move to a holding facility for 1 8 months. The modernized
Bells Mill Elementary School is scheduled to open in August of
2009.

20. The next Facilities Advisory Committee Meeting is scheduled for

Tuesday, August 15, 2006 at 3:00 p.m., at Bells Mill Elementary
School.

Please notify this offic e immediately of any errors or omissions.

cc:
James Song, Mike Shpur, Adrienne Karamihas, and Jim Tokar – MCPS
Jerri Oglesby – Principal, BMES

WALTON MADDEN COOPER ROBINSON PONESS, Inc. 301 -459-9500 Fax 301-459-2639