Some neighbors are unhappy with Argonaut, Foothill plans

Next meeting set for Oct. 26

By Sandy Sims

When members of the committee working on renovation plans for Foothill and Argonaut schools went to neighbors last week with the plan that they favor, a few local residents responded with concerns about everything in the plan from traffic patterns to the addition of new kindergarten classrooms.

By bringing neighbors into the loop early in the planning, the Saratoga Union School District and committee members working on plans for use of Measure D bond money were hoping to avoid the kind of community backlash that surrounded renovation plans at Redwood and Saratoga schools, particularly the latter.

At the Foothill meeting on Oct. 6, opposition to the favored design and layout was led by Jim Ousley, a member of the committee and the lone vote against the plan.

Ousley, some of his neighbors, Wes Ferguson--who is not a committee member, but who attended all its meetings--and some neighbors on Chateau Drive near Argonaut School argued that traffic studies should have been done before the recommended plans were drawn up.

They also said the demographic data don't support as many new kindergarten classrooms as are currently in the plan; furthermore, they said, Measure D language does not allow for building new administration buildings.

In response, superintendent Mary Gardner explained that traffic and noise studies that will be done to meet the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) cannot be done until there is a plan in place.

Responding to questions about the need for additional kindergarten classrooms, she said the growing youth population in the community is not the only reason. "We need dedicated kindergarten classrooms so classes can be staggered, allowing for small classes." She said the district is also considering all-day kindergarten, a growing trend in other districts.

Administration offices for both schools are currently in old classrooms away from the front of the buildings and are poorly laid out for administration. She added that there are other building and state funds to help with the building of the administration buildings.

Wes Ferguson raised a concern about moving the day-care center at Argonaut so it faces Chateau Drive and sits on a raised section of the school grounds. Architect Susie Lechner, working with Argonaut, answered that the floor of the building will be at the same level as the current playground. "We can grade the ground down six or so inches," she added.

The next step is for these plans to be reviewed by traffic and noise consultants under the guidelines of the CEQA, whose findings will be made public for 30 days before the final report goes to the board.

Another forum is set for Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. at Argonaut.

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