Thursday, September 28, 2023

City Planning Commission Approves Final Site Plan for First Phase of Fourth MS

North and east elevations of the fourth middle school were submitted to the City of Williamsburg Planning Commission as part of the final site plan application. (City of Williamsburg)
North and east elevations of the fourth middle school were submitted to the City of Williamsburg Planning Commission as part of the final site plan application. (City of Williamsburg)

The City of Williamsburg Planning Commission unanimously approved the final site plan for the first phase of the fourth WJCC middle school during its meeting Wednesday afternoon.

Approval of the site plan was contingent upon “resolving final engineering details to the satisfaction of City staff” and providing documentation required to build and ultimately occupy the school. The item was approved as part of the Commission’s consent agenda.

In February the Commission’s Site Plan Review Committee studied the site plan and a landscape plan for the school, which would be built at the site of the former James Blair Middle School.

The committee recommended approval of the plan “contingent upon adding bike racks, additional landscaping, improving access from ADA parking spaces and addressing traffic flow concerns,” according to a memo from Zoning Administrator Rodney Rhodes. These items have been addressed in the final site plan, Rhodes wrote.

Construction of the school is set to begin in September following the demolition of the former school. The WJCC School Board awarded a contract for the partial demolition of James Blair during its meeting Tuesday night.

The former school’s auditorium, gym, cafeteria, media center and music education areas will be leveled to make way for construction of a three-story school accommodating 600 students.

Completion of the first phase is estimated to cost $25,798,759, according to the school division.

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