Changes

Site plan puts forward changes to accommodate younger students

Asite plan agreement was passed by council last week in regards to the expansion and renovations at Prince Edward Collegiate Institute in Picton.

These changes are required before the school transitions into a primary to Grade 12 school this fall. Some of the topics discussed before the site plan was passed were in reference to traffic flow around the school and how much of the exterior property will be affected.

Councillor Kevin Gale wanted to know if the sports fields were being turned into parking.

“The two tennis courts are going to be turned into parking, so there will just be one tennis court left,” said CAO James Hepburn.

To accommodate the influx of more students and faculty, two of the three tennis courts and a portion of the field will be converted into parking. The parking area in front of the school will also be expanded, allowing for 12 additional staff parking spots. The entrance loop to the school will also be extended an additional 120 metres to allow access for up to 20 buses during peak times. Other changes see additional road widening and the inclusion of a municipal sidewalk at the front of the school.

The site plan agreement was backed up by a traffic assessment report from G.D. Jewell Engineering, which focused on keeping buses off Elm Street to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety, The engineering report also indicates that the additional on-street angular parking would facilitate a drop-off location similar to ‘kiss and ride’ zones seen at other schools in the province, with the goal of avoiding potential traffic inconveniences.

The project will be fast-tracked and must be completed before accepting the influx of students from Queen Elizabeth School in September, 2018.