Grounds Committee Report to the Facilities & Grounds Review Board
February 2002
Submitted by Louise Romanow

Members of the Grounds Committee (GC) have met and walked around much of the campus recently. We have addressed a number of issues and have a number of recommendations and suggestions for improvements. We’ve discussed a number of ideas, and it is rewarding to see the collaborative efforts of all involved moving us ahead. We’re reporting:

Topics examined and projects completed
Short-term projects for FY 2001-2
Long-term projects and goals

Topics examined and projects completed

Structured Areas:

SEA Courtyard – The Structured Areas subgroup of the GC has met with the school's landscape architect who developed the SEA plan with the Open Space Committee. The GC likes the plan and is awaiting further guidance from the Administration on how and when to proceed.

Trash Cans - The GC responded to a request by the Administration that a litter receptacle type be selected for possible future purchase by the school. After considering dozens of types and styles and consulting vendors and designers, we recommend the Victor Stanley S-35 and S-42 in bronze finish. The retail price is $500. The committee recommends this choice be added to the design guidelines of the school, if approved by you, the Facilities Review Board. The committee also recommends, if and when these are purchased, that the existing containers be relocated to other areas needing trash cans, particularly near the athletic fields. Expected number needed: 12.

Furniture – With student help the GC completed the construction and installation of teak furniture already purchased, which is now widely in use. We have also produced a revised list of additional campus furniture to place when funding is available. We prepared a presentation of furniture and future furniture plans for the February 16 Alliance Auction.

Buffer and Preserved Areas:

Planning - The first US Environmental Science Class, meeting the 3rd trimester of this year, will devote 2-3 weeks studying and evaluating the areas designated ‘preserved’ at the back of the school property. The students will mark out the boundaries of the preserved areas and map their topography, soils, species, and other conditions. They will develop management plans for the preserved areas and neighboring transitional buffer areas. Then they will present their proposals to the GC. With the OK of the GC and the Review Board, their management proposals will be implemented, often with student participation.

Mulching – A number of loads of wood chips have been delivered to the school. Students spent an afternoon removing rubbish and debris from the preserved area in the rear of the school. One load of chips was spread under the old maple up the hill N of the MS.

Short-term projects for FY 2001-2

There are a number of immediate concerns that the GC would like to address with its remaining funds for this fiscal year. We still have to determine cost on these items, but believe they will be less than $4300. (It may be unnecessary for the GC to submit plans for augmenting or altering already existing beds, pruning existing trees, and replacing lost trees, and we would like Review Board guidance on this point.)

Structured Areas:

Augment existing beds:
2 at the w side of the US
2 in front of the MS
2. Replace lost Zelkova serrata ‘Village Green’ at w end, quad side of US.
Put trees on either side of the US entrance, at the corners of lawn closest to the parking lot. If underground structures permit, trees can be planted directly into the ground at these 2 corners. They would be removed when this area is addressed with a more permanent solution. If trees cannot be planted there, then consider 2 large pots with drip irrigation from the existing system.

Around Athletic Fields:

Plant junipers on both sides of top of steps between tennis courts.

Long-term projects and goals

Dave Modlin is hiring a full-time grounds director and helper to maintain the CA grounds. Dave, the new director, and I will be meeting with experts from NCSU and others to determine how best to manage the grounds.

Don Bryson, a parent member of the Review Board, will try to coordinate a presentation by a representative of Ayers/Saint/Gross http://www.asg-architects.com/ to the GC (and others interested?) concerning CA development. We hope this will be in February.

As we examined the campus, we considered a number of projects for future years. These we shall prioritize and present in a 5 or 10-year plan for the school. Here are some of our ideas:

Structured Areas:

Place additional seating areas around academic buildings. Add litter receptacles and planters as funding allows. The list of suggested furniture is available. Total present price of additions: around $30 - $35,000. We hope the Alliance will support these purchases.
We have considered a number of possible sites for amphitheaters and gardens and would like to hear the ideas of other members of the CA community.
Improve the walk/seating area behind the MS – widen sidewalk with pavers, gravel, or other material into fire lane.
Construct a tree-bordered allée from MS to Athletics Building behind Student Center (pavers or gravel).
Plan and install a US entranceway with transition area, seating, and trees.

Around Athletic Fields:

Install seating on hill along side of farthest N court.
Replace bleachers at tennis courts with permanent seating.
Plant hedges as windbreaks where either plants are lacking or they are unsuitable at the ends of tennis courts.
Install permanent seating into the hillside on the W side of tennis courts.
Examine feasibility of irrigation in areas between fields.
Naturalize slopes around track.
Consider CA logo treatment for slope on S side of track. Awaiting ideas from Athletics.
Trees for shade, smoothed grassed areas for training, more shrubs.
Repair wet areas of baseball field and plant around outfield of baseball field if the field is to remain in place.
Improve grassy areas close to athletics fields for athletic training.
Establish a picnic / gathering spot between the tennis courts and track.

Preserved Areas:

The US Environmental Science Class will develop management plans for the preserved areas and neighboring transitional buffer areas. With approval from the GC and Review Board, these plans will be implemented over the coming years.

Buffer areas:

The GC recommends that buffers be planted progressively over the next years. We are developing a list of trees, ornamental shrubs, and other plants to use. We would like to start spreading wood chips or other appropriate mulch around existing buffer plantings and extend that band about 10-12’ into the grassed area, gradually decreasing the amount of lawn and replacing it with an area of woods with trees and shrubs.