SMMUSD Okays Point Dume Expansion Despite Traffic Worries

The local school board last night unanimously approved the plan to end elementary school classes at Juan Cabrillo school … and add a big classroom addition to Point Dume school to handle all grade school kids in western Malibu.

And environmental impact report that includes a two story classroom structure right up against Grayfox Street was okayed by the school board on a seven to nothing vote.

This is despite warnings from district employees that concentrating all the elementary school kids on the point doing campus will create two specific traffic hazards.

First … first too many parents queuing up to pick up their kids in the afternoon.

District environmental consultant Julian Capata..

JULIAN CAPATA :19 QQQ REDUCING THAT QUEUE TIME.

The district set a threshold, they are going to study on the queuing, and if it preaches increases by more than two minutes following phase 1, then they will work with the city to develop a range of potential options for reducing that queue time.

Those options might include:

Widening the driveways on Fernhill Drive.

Creating a secondary pick up area at Grayfox.

Staggering the bell schedule by 30 minuyes.

And a potential shuttle bus for kids to be dropped off with their big brothers or sisters at Juan Cabrillo … and then bused over to Point Dume.

But district officials said most parents do not want their kids on buses … creating a potential for traffic jams at Point Dume.

And school officials said their plans have run up against speeding cars on Grayfox … going too fast down the hill.

That would endanger kids at any new dropoff-pickup area at the bottom of the hill … on Grayfox.

District officials said they would work with the city on the speeding issue … and put in a radar speed sign.

But short of speed humps … there is no imaginable speed control on the steep street.

And the fire department … and many Point Dume residents … do not want speed humps.

Although the environmental study was approved last night … district superintendent Ben Drati stressed the first phase is limited to moving portable classrooms in the center of campus.

And he asked the facilities manager … Carey Upton … if the final plan for the two-story building was cast in stone.

DRATI UPTON : 35 QQQ FOR THE FINAL PHASE.

DRATI: “what you see out there does not necessarily mean that is what we are going to bill, correct, that there is time to actually work with the community to build whatever structure we want to up there at Point Dume???
UPTON: “Absolutely.

“This is what we imagine as the most impact full scenario but I think we’re going to spend a lot more time with the community.

“I think it is very important to get the two schools on the campus for us to learn from the teachers from the parents from the students what works on that campus before we decide and design the next phase.”

Superintendent Ben Drati and school facilities manager Carrie Upton at last night’s school board meeting.

Of all the board approved the school consolidation and rough plans for the construction project on a seven to nothing vote … the entire matter still has to be approved by the city council.

And there is scattered opposition on Point Dume to adding students and buildings and parents cars at the site.