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Schools

District 66 to Build New Bus Parking Lot

Weather permitting, construction will start in October on a new bus pen at the Plainfield Road campus.

buses are getting a new home. The district received approval from the DuPage County Board Tuesday to build a bus pen at the back of the staff parking lot that separates and . The school buses currently are parked in the front parking lot area of the Plainfield Road campus.

Work permits will be picked up this week and construction will start no later than Oct. 1, according to District Superintendent Jay Tiede. It could begin sooner if contractor schedules and the weather are cooperative.

"We're going to try our darnedest to start digging," said Tiede. "We hope to get a good five or six days of weather to get the digging done and the foundation prepared."

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To accommodate the buses, the district will add onto the existing parking lot and put in a retention pond to deal with the water run-off. A 12-foot wooden fence will enclose the bus area. Tiede said the decision to use wood instead of metal for the fence was to improve the aesthetics for the neighborhood.

"We mostly had support for the plan from neighbors, " Tiede said. "We had three people against it and we addressed their issues including using the solid wood fence."

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The total cost of the parking lot addition is estimated at around $250,000, with the wood fence adding an extra $15,000 to the price tag. The money will be repaid over 20 years to the transportation fund by the state.

Staff and parents can expect some disruption to parking and student drop-off and pick-up at Prairieview and Lakeview while the excavation work is going on. Athletic events may also be rescheduled or moved to another school. Tiede said flexibility will be key if the district wants to get this project done before the weather changes.

"As soon as we confirm the starting date we will be communicating with staff and parents about any changes in routines around campus," he said.

If the weather is a problem, the project will be postponed until spring.

Over the last 13 years, the district's buses have been parked in five different locations around Downers Grove and Darien when not in use. When they're off campus, Tiede said it adds thousands of dollars to fuel costs and salaries:

"With the economy, we are watching every dollar."  

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