SCHOOLS: Landmarks Board to consider Madison MS addition Wednesday

| West Seattle history | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Next step toward construction of a $10.5 million, 12,500-square-foot addition at Madison Middle School is this Wednesday afternoon (April 7th), when the city Landmarks Preservation Board considers approving the project. Since Madison is a city landmark (here’s the backstory), with its main building dating back to 1929, the board has to approve additions/changes to the campus. Here’s the slide deck prepared for the meeting, showing the design and location features of the addition, which includes a bicycle-parking shelter:

Wednesday’s meeting is online, starting at 3:30 pm with a public-comment period. The agenda includes more documents on the Madison proposal and other items, as well as how to participate in and/or view the meeting.

Kram April 5, 2021 (2:46 pm)

$840 a square foot. I’m in commercial construction. That’s really really high. Must be a lot of amenities in this.

Krs April 5, 2021 (3:08 pm)

Pretty sure when contractors hear the money is coming from the government and/or tax payers, they jack up the pricing and rip us off.

Skeptic April 5, 2021 (2:55 pm)

Hopefully this project will include repairs to the athletic field that all the local dog owners have ruined by letting their pets dig holes everywhere.

WSB April 5, 2021 (3:01 pm)

No, this is a separate project from the athletic-field project.
Krs April 5, 2021 (3:10 pm)

Don’t just blame dog owners. Blame society. Kids litter and graffiti. Runners leave their trash and water bottles. The bikers built bike jumps and ramps. Everybody is responsible – not just dog owners.
- West Sea Resident April 6, 2021 (7:59 am)
  
  It is laughable to insinuate that people using Madison playfield legally are responsible for its destruction. The field has been destroyed by dogs, and dogs alone. And I am guilty of the same with my dog there. Dog owners, if you’re going to break the rules, at least own up to it and show some humility
  - Krs April 6, 2021 (9:06 am)
    
    It’s laughable that you think littering and tagging is legal. And if we want to get technical here, Madison Middle School track has a sign saying it’s closed during Covid…so no one should be using that field, friend. Also, I am not a dog owner. So, pick up your crap after you’re done using a public space.
    - West sea res April 6, 2021 (11:44 am)
      
      I don’t tag and I don’t litter and I do clean up my dog crap. Geez. You need to chill out
  - WSREZ April 6, 2021 (11:38 am)
    
    Agreed, i take my dog there and plan to until the field is repaired :-)
- wseaturtle April 6, 2021 (9:18 am)
  
  I blame the dog owners. They treat it like an off-leash dog park. The sign clearly says no dogs. Go to Westcrest. I can’t even jog the track anymore without someone’s dog jumping on me. How rude can you get?
  - West Sea Res April 6, 2021 (11:57 am)
    
    I have seen it happen several times. If a dog is jumping on a person including children, the dog owner should leash their dog and leave the field. However, most dog owners shrug their shoulders and apologize but stay with the dog unleashed and chat to other dog owners. They feel comfortable because they are in the majority.

TM7302 April 5, 2021 (5:13 pm)

Very pricey indeed. Another way to look at… $1.3 million per classroom. I’m wondering, is this based upon current or projected student population? While, I find cost to be very high, it might be more reasonable to add a third story to add additional classrooms now rather than a more expensive addition a few years down the road. For reference, this report shows school construction costs in Seattle ranging from 315 to 445 per sf from a 2019 study. https://www.statista.com/statistics/830447/construction-costs-of-educational-buildings-in-us-cities/

Professonal Gardener April 5, 2021 (6:22 pm)

The plant choice makes me want to cry. Lonicera pileata is a maintenance nightmare. What would be worst, is if drip irrigation is installed. Imagine, you are a government worker that works. And your job is to take care of the school landscape. You are shorthanded because management likes to balance the budget on the workers backs. L. pileata was over planted during installation and planted next to a walk way or parking lot. It fills in quickly and you are constantly shearing it back. Maintenance work that is entirely preventable if the landscape designer had not chosen this particular plant. If the intention was to get something green and to fill in, put in lawn. They don’t seem to mind large shrubs for sightlines and perhaps safety (shootings) because barberry and abelia gets big and are evergreen. . I hope the carex and iris tenax aren’t going in the same bio retention ponds. It doesn’t seem very interesting to plant 2 plants with very similar leaves. So the only way you can tell them apart is when they flower. Mahonia repens ya sure its native. I like Mahonia nervosa better. At least they didn’t pick Mahonia aquafolium. You could do so much w/ a new landscape. I suggest a landscape design revision.

wseaturtle April 6, 2021 (9:11 am)

I couldn’t agree more. Landscape design revision.

Justme April 5, 2021 (6:26 pm)

Krs; you’re exactly right. Just like buying a box of crayons through the district’s chosen vendors via purchase orders. 8.00 for a small box of crayons. Buy the same thing at the store in person and pay 2.00. It’s sickening.