2008 Woodie Awards
FB City Council unified on Brookhaven expansion
Scott Figuerola
Issue date: 10/22/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
The Farmers Branch City Council unanimously passed Resolution 2007-128 Oct. 16, which approved a site plan for Brookhaven College to move forward in its attempt to receive a building permit for the new Science and Allied Health Building.
Steven Park, executive director of the bond program management team at the Dallas County Community College District, said the plan was designed so Brookhaven will be in compliance with the City Council's regulations. He said he doesn't anticipate any problems getting the building permit.
Park said the college would submit its building permit re-quest as soon as possible.
"We're going to move forward with an initial early release contract, which is going to start the demolition of Building G," he said. "That's where the new building is going to go. At the same time we are tearing it [G Building] down, we will start building the basin."
The retention basin, which was one hot-button topic for the Council, is a four-and-a-half-foot-deep pond that is an acre in size.
Park said the basin would catch rainwater from the new building as well as the Head Start Center and slowly filter the water into the creek that runs through Brookhaven and the surrounding housing community.
Park said, when it rains, Brookhaven displaces 64.9 cubic feet of water per second into the creek. When the building and the basin are finished, the college will displace 4.9 cubic feet of water per second, which cuts down on the amount of water flow into the creek. This ensures FB citizens won't be affected by erosion.
The other concern for the City Council was the amount of light pollution a new building would create.
Park said the amount of ambient light generated by the new building would not overflow into the surrounding community. The light will stay on Brookhaven's campus.
Elaine Luttrell, Brookhaven student, said this meeting was a good step into mending the relationship between the City Council and Brookhaven. But she said Brook-haven's need for another campus exit was left out of the discussion.
But she said she has an Emergency Medical Services degree from Brookhaven and if there was an emergency on campus, like what happened at Virginia Tech, students would not be able to leave in a timely manner.
"Forget about an exit on Marsh Lane because this city is living 50 years behind the times," she said. "They are determined to keep that as a country road."
She said an exit going north to Spring Valley Road would help the situation.
Dr. Sharon Blackman, president of Brookhaven, said the original master plan that included an exit at Marsh Lane would not be revisited at this point.
She said the demolition of G Building will start in a few weeks. The construction on the Science and Allied Health Building will begin January 2008 and is scheduled for completion fall 2009.
Steven Park, executive director of the bond program management team at the Dallas County Community College District, said the plan was designed so Brookhaven will be in compliance with the City Council's regulations. He said he doesn't anticipate any problems getting the building permit.
Park said the college would submit its building permit re-quest as soon as possible.
"We're going to move forward with an initial early release contract, which is going to start the demolition of Building G," he said. "That's where the new building is going to go. At the same time we are tearing it [G Building] down, we will start building the basin."
The retention basin, which was one hot-button topic for the Council, is a four-and-a-half-foot-deep pond that is an acre in size.
Park said the basin would catch rainwater from the new building as well as the Head Start Center and slowly filter the water into the creek that runs through Brookhaven and the surrounding housing community.
Park said, when it rains, Brookhaven displaces 64.9 cubic feet of water per second into the creek. When the building and the basin are finished, the college will displace 4.9 cubic feet of water per second, which cuts down on the amount of water flow into the creek. This ensures FB citizens won't be affected by erosion.
The other concern for the City Council was the amount of light pollution a new building would create.
Park said the amount of ambient light generated by the new building would not overflow into the surrounding community. The light will stay on Brookhaven's campus.
Elaine Luttrell, Brookhaven student, said this meeting was a good step into mending the relationship between the City Council and Brookhaven. But she said Brook-haven's need for another campus exit was left out of the discussion.
But she said she has an Emergency Medical Services degree from Brookhaven and if there was an emergency on campus, like what happened at Virginia Tech, students would not be able to leave in a timely manner.
"Forget about an exit on Marsh Lane because this city is living 50 years behind the times," she said. "They are determined to keep that as a country road."
She said an exit going north to Spring Valley Road would help the situation.
Dr. Sharon Blackman, president of Brookhaven, said the original master plan that included an exit at Marsh Lane would not be revisited at this point.
She said the demolition of G Building will start in a few weeks. The construction on the Science and Allied Health Building will begin January 2008 and is scheduled for completion fall 2009.
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