Quaker Valley School District officials approve more soil testing at proposed high school site

Quaker Valley School District officials said more soil samples will be taken from the proposed high school site as part of Allegheny County’s permitting process.

School board members unanimously voted April 24 for a $195,750 amendment to a civil engineering contract with Phillips & Associates for the test borings along Camp Meeting Road.

Work also includes slope stability analysis, gradings summary and drilling coordination, according to district documents.

Charlie Gauthier, district director of facilities and administrative services, said testing was expected to take place within weeks, with all work completed sometime in May.

“This is more (testing) of the road entrances,” Gauthier said. “When we do the engineering on those turning lanes and the new drive up top, those samples will tell us how (to design) these entrances.”

Gauthier said there still is a long way to go before actual construction may begin. However, the new testing is not expected to impact the project’s timeline.

The goal is to have the school ready by the 2027-28 school year.

School district officials last September set the maximum building construction costs for the proposed high school at about $72.1 million and the maximum project cost at $105 million.

The proposed 167,000-square-foot school is on 150 acres of land off Camp Meeting Road. The district property straddles Leet Township, Edgeworth and Leetsdale. However, the school itself will be in the township.

The current high school was built in 1926 and has undergone several renovations through the years.

Meanwhile, Leet Planning Commission members continue to discuss the district’s site plans.

Township engineering firm LSSE has completed its review of the preliminary and final land development plan.

The letter indicates the district has yet to obtain state Department of Environmental Protection approval for proposed stream crossings and wetland disturbances as well as a county highway occupancy permit.

Existing and proposed drainage easements have also not been provided, according to the letter.

“The engineers are still working on the disparities in the code. The process will probably take a couple of months to resolve and then we will move forward,” planning commission chairman Joe Ferrang said via email.

The next planning commission meeting is at 6 p.m. May 23 at the township building, 194 Ambridge Ave.

District architects revealed potential interior color schemes and materials for the proposed high school project last month.

Superintendent Tammy Andreyko narrated a virtual tour that included architectural designs made by BSHM and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architects.

It was posted on the district’s YouTube page.

Administrative office spaces would have grey carpeting with a soft white on the walls. Accent colors included two shades of tan and a shade of green.

The auditorium would have a dark-colored carpet with gold strokes. Accent colors for the walls were black and a shade of tan.

Classrooms would have grey-shaded marmoleum tile flooring. North walls would have windows while the south walls would have storage areas. Accent colors include green-grey mist, a shade of green and a shade of tan.

It is unclear when the board may vote on the interior designs.