May 23, 2006 > Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee

by Gary Leatherman

On May 3 the Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee met at the Fremont Adult School to hear a report on alteration projects and to tour the new multi-use building scheduled to be dedicated May 18. Architect John Chwastyk said the alteration projects are similar to those done at other sites, including structural upgrades for seismic safety, upgrades to restrooms, roof replacements and installation of fire alarms.

Chwastyk said the new multi-use room (MU) is the same basic design as that of the new elementary school MU's, but since the needs of the Adult School program are very different from those of an elementary school, Adult School Principal Ron Cass and his staff have been very involved in designing the Adult School facility. They needed to reduce the overall size to stay within budget, Chwastyk said, but were able to add some features that will make the building more flexible and compatible with the needs of adult students.

The most dramatic change is the conversion of the stage's back wall to a roll-up door that opens onto an outdoor stage for an amphitheater. The amphitheater will be used for graduation ceremonies and other events too large to be held inside the MU.

The inside stage will be used for community theater productions and can be converted with a temporary room partition into a separate classroom space from the main room. The kitchen accommodates both meal preparation and cooking classes.

In other business, Facilities Director Therese Gain reported that the Facilities Department is gearing up for a busy summer in which Health and Safety Bond projects will be under way at more than 20 schools. She said that a strong construction market is reducing the number of bidders on public projects and pushing up the cost of construction materials. The bond budget allows for inflation, but the situation bears watching.

The CBOC is preparing a presentation for community groups interested in learning more about the bond program. For more information call (510) 979-7700.