UUBG-008+0     2008-02-12     [ Catalog ] [ Topics ] [ Index ]

UUFSD and the Santa Fe Montessori School to our southwest have enjoyed a cooperative relationship over the years. They use our parking lot for overflow parking during the week and we use theirs on weekends. Our Religious Education program uses some of their classroom space on Sunday mornings.

There are two paths between UUFSD's lower parking lot and the Sante Fe Montessori School yard. The established path is long and gently sloped, the newer is a shortcut up the bank next to the 9 foot high retaining wall that supports the southwest edge of the parking lot. Neither path can be wheelchair accessible as there is a stair below both to the Montessori School yard.

Last year (2007) one of the Montessori teachers slipped and fell on the established path where it runs along a concrete drainage ditch. Keith Perry, a free-lance handyman who handles much of their up-keep, trimmed back some bushes that were part of the problem. Keith spoke with Alison Crotty (UUFSD's RE Director) about possible improvements. At the time the School offered to pay Keith to improve the path if UUFSD provided materials - something with railroad ties was suggested.

Alison discussed the situation with Stu Anderson (Chair, B&G) who was overwhelmed at the time, just starting to rebuild the committee. Stu used brush removed during a work party to block off the shortcut, assigned a project number and a task ID TID-001 Remove Brush @ Montessori Path. Stu planned to revisit the issue when construction began on the Memorial Wall project. He expected to use some of the excavated fill from the Wall to fill in erosion on the bank and install permanent steps for the shortcut.

Walter Huebscher has recently joined Santa Fe Montessori as its Administrator / Principal. He requested a meeting to discuss possibilities for improving these paths. On 2008-02-07, Stu Anderson (Chair, B&G) and Jeff Severinghaus (Hardscape Group Leader) met with Walter and Keith on the site to discuss these issues:

1. Improving existing paths for safety
2. Adding an informal trail below the parking lot
3. Converting an existing garden canopy to a Finch aviary

Items 2 and 3 are requests for permission by the School which seem reasonable and Stu will discuss with appropriate parties within UUFSD. Item 1 is the topic of this project and the four of us present reached consensus on an approach.

In light of UUFSD's current financial constraints the plan is something of the reverse of the earlier proposal. UUFSD will provide the design and labor and the School will supply materials. We will formalize the shortcut with permanent steps and a railing beside the west end of the 9 foot retaining wall. We will put a railing at the top of the existing (lower) stairs directing traffic toward the new steps and away from the older long path. The long path may remain as part of an informal trail (per item 2 above).

Buildings & Grounds will develop a design and a bill of materials for approval by UUFSD and the School. Walter feels confident parents want this to happen and will support the effort. He would like this project to happen over the next few months.

After the meeting, Stu sketched a design for steps using fill dirt and retaining wall capstones then met with Greg Brown to discuss the design and review the topics. Greg suggested that a wooden structure might be less expensive overall, though not as permanent. Stu volunteered that he and Jeff would actually enjoy moving all that dirt around and tamping it down and might get some younger folks to join in the fun. Stu proposes this design for the new steps:

1. Buy ~40 concrete capstones to match existing wall
2. Get ~7 yards of fill to cover the tree roots
3. Get 2/3 yard of gravel to seat capstones
4. Tamp the fill down in 6" terraced layers
5. Place 2 capstones across as a step in front of each layer
6. Sink 3 or 4 concrete posthole footings for the railing
7. Specify or build railings to fit
8. Plant suitable ground cover on exposed dirt
9. Cut the lowest limb of the adjacent pine tree

The plan offers several advantages:

1. Parents prefer the shortcut even though, presently, it involves clamboring over exposed tree roots.
2. Newcomers should find it more obvious how to proceed.
3. Requires less railing than the long path by the ditch.
4. Keeps folks from tripping over a spigot and electrical boxes at the top of the existing stairs.
5. The top half of the new steps will be illuminated by the existing parking lot light at night.
6. It'll be fun to design and build

These are some concerns:

1. Cost of railings. It would be nice to match the ones we have elsewhere on the site, but they are custom welded.
2. Can we get low grade fill cheap or for free?
3. Will the tree be upset by burial of its exposed roots?

Well that's it for REV 0 of this document...

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