Construction impact meeting answers questions, including, "What happened to all the trees?"

September 30, 2009

If you have visited WJSHS in the past few days, you may have noticed that the place is looking very different. Aside from construction near the side entrance , which is part of the district's emergency project, the whole front of the building looks different. The soccer field has been turned into a parking lot for workers and a staging area for materials. Construction trailers will be moved on site in the next few weeks. But the biggest aesthetic change is the removal of a number of large trees in front of the building.

Community members were invited to learn more about how construction work at WJSHS may affect residents in the surrounding areas at a meeting held on September 29. Representatives from both the architects and the construction companies joined district administrators to share information about project plans, work schedules etc.

"The community has been very supportive, and we do not expect the project to have a huge impact on our neighbors. So far, the biggest question people have is, 'what happened to all the trees?"" said Superintendent Paul Padalino.

Padalino went on to explain that almost all of the trees in front of the building needed to be taken down to make way for the new gymnasium which is included in the project. The construction plans include landscaping when the project is completed, so the lost trees will be replaced. The district is attempting to save as many of the trees as it can, and an excavator was on site today to extract some of the remaining greenery. The district was unable to save all of the trees due to viability issues based on the size, age and condition of the trees.

View the presentation given at the meeting PDF FILE

View a slideshow of the 10.2.09 groundbreaking ceremony SLIDESHOW