|
|
Frequently Asked Questions about the PPP
Prepared by the Janney School Improvement Team (SIT)
September 19, 2008
These questions and answers represent the topics most frequently raised recently to the SIT by the Janney community. If you have additional questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact a member of the SIT.
Q. We hear that the Mayor's selected developer, LCOR, has a revised plan that they've shown to certain stakeholders. Is this the final plan from LCOR?
A: The Chair of the SIT met with representatives from LCOR, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), and DCPS on Monday, September 8, and was shown a revised plan. This plan was subsequently rejected by community groups, stakeholders and Councilmember Cheh. We have learned from the City that they have postponed a previously planned stakeholder meeting until November or December to allow the architect to revise the plan based on stakeholders critical concerns. This plan will not be released to the public.
Q: OK, so the latest plan was rejected - what did it call for?
A: The plan included a nine story residential building along Albemarle Street, stepping down to five stories next to St. Ann's driveway. There were approximately 170 units in the building. In the plans, the building occupied most of the Janney soccer field and ended 60 feet from the eastern edge of Janney. There was an underground parking garage, with 50 spaces assigned to Janney. It was unclear whether these spaces would be rented, sold or given to Janney. Despite the greenspace gained from putting Janney's parking underground, there was still at least a 6,000 - 7,000 square foot net loss of Janney land as a result of these plans. The plans did not call for any construction above or below the library.
Q: Has LCOR produced a plan thus far that meets the conditions set forth by the SIT?
A: No. None of LCOR's plans, beginning with the initial proposal issued in February 2008 and including the latest revision, have addressed the concerns and conditions repeatedly stated by the SIT in earlier correspondence with the City. To review the original proposal submitted by LCOR in February 2008, please click here. Subsequent plans have not been made public.
Q. What would DCPS receive in the deal with LCOR?
A: Money, though it is not clear how much or when. The Developer and the City are still in negotiations over the terms of the deal.
Q: If LCOR gets the project when would Janney be modernized and expanded?
We don't know. The City has expressed an interest in modernizing and expanding Janney quickly through a PPP, but no timetable has been set and we have no assurance from DCPS, DMPED, or any other city agency or partner developer that construction would occur significantly faster.
Q: Would LCOR be in charge of the Janney renovation?
A: No. LCOR's involvement would be limited to payment of money. With or without a PPP, DCPS will manage and control the Janney modernization and addition, including plans and construction.
Q: If the PPP moves forward, will my kids have to get on a bus to go to a temporary school during construction?
A: After the City's selection of LCOR in July 2008, the SIT in its July 21 letter reiterated its goal/condition that students remain on the Janney campus during the construction phase of the school's expansion and modernization. However, we have not received any assurance that Janney students would "swing in space" (stay on the Janney campus) with a PPP. Swinging in space will no doubt be easier without the PPP.
It is also important to note that DCPS policy regarding swinging students has changed significantly. The thrust of the new MFP, as discussed below, is to abandon the old model of razing a few decrepit schools each year (while the children swing to another site). The new policy is to help as many children as possible in the short term by modernizing many schools quickly, with as little disruption to the students as possible.
Master Facilities Plan (MFP)
Q: What is the Master Facilities Plan, or MFP?
A: As stated in the Executive Summary of the official draft of the MFP, "The 2008 District of Columbia Public Schools Master Facilities Plan (MFP) is the action plan that will finally deliver classrooms that do support educational needs and provide safe, positive learning environments to the children of the District." The official draft of the plan, released on September 10, 2008, can be found here.
Q: Does the MFP have to be approved by the City Council?
A: Yes. According to the Northwest Current, the council has scheduled a public roundtable with senior education officials for September 25. A formal hearing has been set for October 10.
Q: What are the plans for Janney under the official draft of the MFP?
A: Under the official draft of the Master Facilities Plan (MFP) issued by DCPS on September 10, 2008, Janney is slated for "Phase One Academic Component Modernization" in 2013 and building an addition in 2014. To read the MFP, please click here.
Q: Is Janney's status in the MFP dependent on the PPP moving forward?
A: No.
Q: Are the SIT and PTA going to advocate for an earlier modernization and expansion date in the final version of the Master Facilities Plan?
A: Yes.
Q: I heard that Janney was listed eighth in line for expansion on an earlier draft of the MFP? What happened?
A: Great efforts have been expended by the SIT trying to confirm Janney's "place in line" - a critical fact for the entire decision process. No one could be reached in the DCPS office of Planning or Alan Lew's Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization that would confirm Janney's position, or otherwise discuss the 3/31/08 draft MFP that was obtained by the Area Neighborhood Commission (ANC) through a Freedom of Information Act Request.
The draft, written by a contractor to DCPS, listed Janney at number 8, with construction commencing in 2010 (costing $42,000,000). At the time it was prepared on March 31, 2008, there had been discussion between DCPS and the SIT about the proposed deal (give up land and get moved up in the queue).
Alan Lew and Chancellor Rhee met with SIT representatives in the beginning of 2008. It was the understanding of those present that if Janney were to give up part of its land, it would be advanced in the queue. This was a DCPS decision that had nothing to do with the office of Economic Development.
It should also be noted that while Janney has a dire capacity issue, its physical condition is not in need of immediate repairs, unlike many schools across the city that are dangerously unusable. Janney has some critical facilities issues (ADA compliance, classrooms, bathrooms, etc.), but due to recent improvements (electrical upgrade, HVAC upgrades, repair order backlog elimination, roof repair), most of the school's issues relate to capacity.
Other Questions
Q. Is Janney the most overcrowded school in the DCPS?
A: No, but very close. According to the recently released MFP, out of 120 schools, there are only three with lower square footage per student ratios: Stoddert, School without Walls and Moore Academy.
There are only two schools with higher utilization percentages (student population over building capacity) otherwise known as overcrowding: Oyster ES and School Without Walls HS, and another two schools which are slightly less than our 133% (Burrville and Lafayette).
Q: Will the current 5th graders go to Deal for 6th grade?
A: It is reported that construction is on schedule and that the current 5th graders will begin 6th grade at Deal Middle School in the Fall of 2009, when Janney will become a school serving grades Pre-K through 5th grade.
Q. What are ed specs and why doesn't Janney have them?
A: Educational specifications are the planning documents which are prepared before construction of a facility. The specs themselves entail what a new or modernized school should have based on the site and the anticipated number of students. DCPS has generic standards that are then adjusted to the site, design, population, among other factors (e.g., the number of bathrooms for a given number of students). Ed specs also address the outdoor facilities for a school of a given size (e.g., how large and what types of outdoor play areas for different grade levels).
The DCPS Office of Planning prepared a draft in 2007 in response to the PPP. According to the DCPS Office of Planning, they will complete the final ed specs (or contract to have it done) during the design phase, which will include opportunities for teacher, staff, and community input. Since Janney's structure is not going to be razed, the current focus on ed specs for Janney is to address the new structure and outdoor areas. The new structure may be an auditorium with four or six additional classrooms and other multi-use rooms, although that could certainly change. DCPS and the Office of Planning have assured the SIT that they don't prepare final ed specs until a project is funded, and that they will prepare them when Janney has funds budgeted for expansion.
Janney SIT's Position
Q: What is the SIT's position on the issue of the PPP?
For the last year, and as recently as July of this year, the Janney SIT has offered conditional support for the concept of a PPP with the goal of securing a modernized and expanded Janney facility within a short time horizon. After careful consideration of the needs of the school and the sentiments of the Janney community, the SIT is withdrawing previously stated conditional support for this initiative. We are optimistic that the necessary modernization and expansion of Janney can be completed through an effective Master Facilities Plan process without ceding land to a private developer. The SIT will advocate for timely modernization and expansion through this process.
Q: How is the SIT going to voice this position?
A: The SIT will issue a letter to the City early next week. The Janney advocacy committee will also engage in the issue.
Q: Has the SIT's position on the use of Janney land for a PPP changed over time? If so, why?
A: The SIT has expressed conditional support for a PPP in previous statements. These conditions have not been met, and LCOR and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development have been repeatedly unresponsive to suggestions and input from the Janney community. Given this situation, along with the knowledge that Janney is slated for modernization in 2013 and an addition in 2014, the SIT believes it is in the school's best interest to modernize and expand through the DCPS MFP process, advocate for timely construction in recognition of Janney's dire facilities issues, and keep all of its land for future school use.
The SIT believes that the rationale for the original, overarching quid-pro-quo has changed. The SIT's willingness in 2007, and in prior years, to entertain a PPP came at a time when Janney had little possibility of any refurbishment relief from DCPS. Being the pro-active, creative Janney community that we are, many people tried to think outside the box with a creative land-use idea to get what we needed: a bigger, better Janney, as soon as possible. If that meant doing a creative deal that involved a Wisconsin Ave. building above the library, and perhaps a bit of Janney land used for greater civic purposes, that sounded like a deal worth exploring.
The situation, however, has changed. Janney has an opportunity for expansion through the new MFP. The City and LCOR have failed to produce a plan since February that responds to any of Janney's conditions. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development has also failed to engage in meaningful dialogue with Janney. The City's PPP development process has been opaque. The SIT recognizes that the facilities situation at Janney is dire, but the SIT has lost any confidence that ceding Janney land for a PPP is the way to resolve our issues.
Stay tuned as the SIT continues to advocate for our wonderful school's future. Thank you for your support and involvement.
(Return to Library Development page, SIT withdrawal of support letter, or SIT page).
|
