Major renovations will take place at Garfield Elementary School including a redesigned front entrance and office, additional educational wing (portable classrooms will be replaced by permanent classrooms), covered play area, and improvements in parking and site circulation for bikes and pedestrians. With schools closed to students, bond projects planned to start this summer are getting started earlier than scheduled!
Fortis Construction, a contractor for the Corvallis School District Bond Program, has begun construction activity at Garfield Elementary School. Eight temporary modular classrooms were set up earlier this spring. With the three existing modular classrooms, a total of 11 modular classrooms and a temporary modular restroom will be on-site during the 2020-21 school year to allow the construction project to proceed while school is session.
In preparation for the site work at Garfield, a number of trees will be removed due to the limited site space, City code requirements and poor drainage in some of the existing tree locations. The removal work will begin next week.
The sweet gum trees along 11th Street, and those adjacent to the school building, will be removed as part of the school renovation project. Trees along Garfield Avenue will also be removed since they are within 10 feet of an existing city sewer line and the sidewalk will be moved north due to city code. Usable portions of trees that are removed will be salvaged and used in the high school CTE Woods Class and Corvallis gleaner groups will be offered the remaining wood to be collected as firewood. Several trees in front of the school will be removed due to the new site circulation plan at the entrance of the school.
“While it’s hard to watch trees being cut down, we take heart in knowing that we will be planting many more trees than we are removing,” said Kim Patten, the district’s Facilities and Transportation Director. “In total, we expect to remove nearly 23 existing trees on the school campus and plant more than 60 trees in the coming months.”
A highlight of the new site plan includes a swale for stormwater conveyance. It will feature a flagstone path to wander through the native trees including red alder, vine maples, big leaf maples, dogwood, and western hemlock. It will include an interpretive display to provide education about the swale and native species featured in the design.
Questions about construction activities may be directed to Julie Haymart at julieh@wenahagroup.com