What every Montgomery County

parent should know about the

proposed BCC-Cluster Middle School

Background
Construction scheduled to begin July 2015
Completion scheduled Summer 2017

As currently designed, the project will yield a

substandard school, lacking required academic and
athletic program elements, which will adversely
impact the education and development of up to 1,200
middle school students a year
for 25 + years.
Identification of which students will attend this school
(redistricting) will not be made until winter 2017 6 months before it opens.
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MCPS Math
+
+
+
+

Site that is 50% of County and State standard

Numerous Avoidable Design Compromises
Unresolved Safety Concerns
Unrealistic Construction Schedule
$52+M of Taxpayer Funds
A deficient school that will adversely impact the
education, safety and athletic development of future
Montgomery County Middle School students

Issues
Approved Design
Development Documents do
not meet:
MCPS and state standards
Requirements established for
this project
Requirements provided by
similar projects

Building deficiencies
Academic and support program
elements deleted, or reduced,
to fit in smaller footprint
No International Baccalaureate
program

Inefficient, 4 story building

Site deficiencies
Insufficient space for athletic
fields, vehicular/pedestrian
circulation, parking
Inconsistent guidance provided
to Site Selection Board in
January 2012

Safety concerns
Does not meet all MCPS
standards
Topography and tight site
results in unresolved potential
traffic and pedestrian safety
hazards identified by
Montgomery County Planning
Commission staff

The Flawed Plan for MS #2

4 Story (65 High)
Building Mass

Deficient Athletic Fields

15 Retaining Wall

Deficient Bus Parking

20 Required
15 Provided

Deficient Car
Parking
125 Required
110 Provided

22 Retaining Wall

Single Entry for

Parents, Staff and
Service Vehicles

Winding, steep,
one-way, single
lane access road
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How Big a Site?

20 Acres,
PLUS
1 addl. Acre/
100 students
= 32 acres

State
Standards

Preferably
adjacent to park
(e.g. Farquhar
+ 17 acres)

Unbuildable

20 Acres
(e.g.
Clarksburg
22 Acres)

15.5 Acres

Current
County
Standards

Future
County
Standards

What should be.

11 Acres

BCC
MS#2
Site

What is.
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Space to Learn and Play?

Each Child Icon =
40 students (1,200 total)

State
Standards

Current
County
Standards

What kids deserve.

Future
County
Standards

BCC MS#2
Site

What they get.

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The Athletic Fields Kids Need.

400 x 400
Playing Field

Space available for school,

parking, road network,
storm water management,
green space.

20 Acre, Flat Site

4 Softball
Fields

3 Basketball
Courts

6 Tennis
Courts

60 yd. Sprint
Track
300 x 300
Playing Field
(2 Soccer Fields)

In Accordance With MCPS Standards

55 x 110
Paved
Play

What They Get.

Whats missing:
400x400 Playing Field.
3 Useable Softball Fields.
60 yd. Sprint Track.
55x110 Paved Play Area.
2 Tennis Courts

Remaining space for

school, parking, road
network, storm
water management,
green space.

11 Acre, Steep Site

Soccer Fields Overlay Softball.

1 Softball field has no infield.

Classrooms too small?

How many
students can
fit in this
remaining
space?

Montgomery County Requirements:

General Classroom (20)
Computer Classroom (3)
Special Education Classroom (2)

900 SF
950 SF
900 SF

BCC Middle School #2 As Designed:

Total Classroom Dimensions: 24 x 364 = 871 SF
Actual Useable Dimensions: 24 x ~30 =~ 750 SF

Source: Design Development Submission, Sheet A 2.02,

First Floor Plan Overall dated 3/31/14

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Whats Wrong Inside?

General Classrooms:
20 of 20 Classrooms > 15% undersized
3 of 3 Computer Classrooms >20 % undersized

ESOL, Special and Alternative Education:

2 of 2 Special Ed. Classrooms > 15% undersized
1 of 2 ESOL Rooms (600 SF) deleted
Instructional Data Assistant (400 SF) deleted
Developmental Reading Room 25% undersized
Special Education Team Room 50% undersized
Speech Therapy Room mis-located per program

Student Support:
Student Dining >15% undersized
3 of 3 Auxiliary Gyms >15% undersized
3 of 3 Auxiliary Gyms mis-located per program
Other:
Single elevator supporting 4 stories
1 of 1 Recycling room (250 SF) deleted
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Safety Concerns
Car entrance fails to meet 200
foot sight line distance
requirement, due to intersections
at 100 and 150 feet.
Right of way fails to meet County
70 foot standard.
MCPS fire safety evacuation
requirements potentially
compromised by site restrictions.
No sidewalks to school

creates pedestrian conflicts with the crosswalk

on Saul Road angled across the access to the
parent drop-off loop
height of the retaining walls creates a
potential hazard and inviting nuisancethe
heights are such that children could suffer serious
injury or death by playing on these walls.
parent drop-off loop provides a likely shortcut
for pedestrians hazardous for pedestrian use.

design of the parent drop-off loop is extremely

attractive for skateboarding while the entrance
itself has a limited site distance, creating a
situation where skateboarders or bicyclists could
be exiting the site at a high rate of speed without
drivers being able to see them in time.

All quotes from Montgomery County Planning

Board comments in Mandatory Referral report
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Access, Flow and Safety.

All traffic must pass loading docks

15 Drop

Handicapped must cross all traffic

Main Entrance

22 Drop!

Tight bus radius,

conflicting with local
traffic

(2 stacked walls ,
+ 3 safety fence )

There are NO sidewalks

accessing this school.
Single entrance and exit for staff, parents, visitors and trucks.
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Current Site
Pros
Design Complete
Funds allocated

Cons
o Delivers inequitable, substandard
school facility for the 25 year life of
the school
o Relative complexity of sitework
raises reasonable risk that bids will
exceed budget, requiring:

Deliver for Fall 2017 (if

schedule is maintained)

Additional funds
Additional compromises
Additional time

o High risk that completion will miss

school year 2017, due to tight
schedule, weather and difficult site
o No capability for growth
o Safety/access concerns

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Alternate Site
Cons

Pros

o Cost

Funds spent on building and

athletics, not site
Centrally located in cluster

Redesign
Market escalation

Sidewalk and Metro accessible

o Justify reassignment of funds

o Possible site acquisition

Safe Environment for Students and

Vehicles

o Potential three year delay - 1,500

students and families will
continue status quo until
complete

For 25 years, over 10,000 students

and families will benefit from a
school which meets Montgomery
County standard

(assumes 900 student load)

(assumes 900 students 1st three years,

1,200 for the balance)

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Choose the harder right, instead of the

easier wrong:

Relocate construction of the New Middle

School for Bethesda-Chevy Chase Cluster
to a site that will yield a solution that
meets MCPS requirements, and will
provide equitable programs and services
for all Middle School Students.
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Back Up Slides

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Ground (1st) Floor

Deficiencies
Dining
Recycling

6000 SF required
4900 SF useable
250 SF required
0 SF provided

Only accessible by one elevator

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First (2nd) Floor

Deficiencies
Classrooms (7)
Computer Classroom (1)

900 SF required
<750 SF useable
950 SF required
<750 SF useable

Only accessible by one elevator

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Second (3rd) Floor

Deficiencies

Classrooms (6)

900 SF required
<750 SF useable
Computer Classroom (1)
950 SF required
<750 SF useable
Special Ed. Classroom (1)
900 SF required
<750 SF useable
Auxiliary Gyms (3)
1600 SF required (ea)
1300 SF useable
should be located adjacent to the gymnasium
area and the lockers rooms

Only accessible by one elevator

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Third (4th) Floor

Deficiencies
Classrooms (7)

900 SF required
<750 SF useable
Computer Classroom (1)
950 SF required
<750 SF useable
Special Ed. Classroom (1)
950 SF required
<750 SF useable
ESOL
600 SF required
0 SF provided
Instruction Data Asst .
400 SF required
0 SF provided
Reading Room:
600 SF required
450 SF useable
Special Ed Team Room
300 SF required
150 SF useable
Speech Room required to be on 1st floor.

Only accessible by one elevator

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Right vs. Wrong

Clarksburg/Damascus

988 initial students

1,200 projected students
25 +14 classrooms master planned

$52.7M total budget*

20+ buildable acre site
Meets MCPS standard

145,000 total building SF

Spacious, yet efficient, design

130 parking spaces

BCC MS #2
944 initial students

$52.3M total budget*

x 11 buildable acre site
x

All program requirements generously x

accommodated
x
All athletic fields provided

of MCPS standard

x 151,000 total building SF

x

Inefficient , 4-story construction

x 110 parking spaces

x

2 year construction

1,200 projected students

25+12 classrooms master planned

125 spaces required

x 2 year construction

Fundamental academic spaces

compromised
Athletic fields deleted

(* Per FY 2016 BOE Capital Improvement Plan, dated 1 December 2014)

As designed, the proposed BCC MS #2 delivers a less efficient building (more costly to operate),
with teaching spaces and athletic fields deleted or reduced from MCPS standards,
with less expansion capabilityfor the same cost.
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Impact of Poor Site Selection

Requirements
provided at
Clarksburg, that
are missing at
MS #2.

Required Athletic Fields Deleted:

o 1 of 1 400 x 400 Playing Field
o 3 of 4 Softball Fields
(one field as designed has no infield or pitchers mound)

o 2 of 6 Tennis Courts
o 1 of 1 Sprint Track
o 1 of 1 Hard Play Area
Other Site Compromises:
o 4 story Construction Solution
o 20% parking reduction
o 15 bus capacity vs. 20 required
o Inadequate traffic segregation

xx

x
x x

All staff, parent, handicapped and service vehicles

must share a single lane, one-way road
All staff, parents and students must drive by two
loading docks, dumpsters and building utilities to
exit student drop off area

o NO adjacent open space

o NO space for expansion

Comparison Source: Clarksburg/Damascus Middle School Feasibility Study October 2009

Final Recommended Site Plan (22 acres)

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