Acquiring a New Site
If acquiring a new site, the district may use one or more of the following legal methods:
- Purchase from the owner.
- Acceptance as a gift from the owner.
- Condemnation of private property with purchase at fair market value (RCW 28A.335.220).
- Receipt of surplus government property.
- Lease of state-owned property.
State laws affecting the securing of proposals for sale, appraisals, counteroffers, and options should be investigated thoroughly.
Apart from land secured on acceptable leases, title to the real property of the site should be vested in the school district, with any or all encumbrances clearly stated in the title documents. Any title that contains encumbrances should be accompanied by certification from the district’s legal counsel stating that such encumbrances will not interfere detrimentally with the construction, operation, and useful life of the school facility.
Recommended Acreage
Urban and rural sites have different space needs, so OSPI does not require a definite amount of space for the expected number of students. However, in accordance with WAC 392-342-020 a site should have:
- A base amount of 5 usable acres, plus 1 additional acre for each 100 students. For school facilities with any students above 6th grade the base amount should be 10 usable acres plus 1 additional acre for each 100 students.
Use the above WAC to assure that the site will have sufficient space to offer a healthy environment, adequate space for the facility and educational program, parking, physical education and recreation, as well as satisfy requirements of the local jurisdiction.
Funding Site Acquisition
Sources of funding for site acquisition available to districts include:
- Passage of a capital levy.
- Passage of a bond issue for site acquisition.
- Transfer of funds from the general fund to the building fund.
- Outside sources (developer dedication, growth impact fees, or mitigation payments).
- Sale of district-owned surplus property.
- Non-voted debt.
Data Necessary in Site Acquisition and Assessment
Prior to design studies for site utilization and building placement, a survey of the physical site characteristics and a title search are necessary. This site survey must be performed by a land surveyor registered in the State of Washington. The site survey, a responsibility of the district, should contain the following information for the architect/engineer:
- Title of survey, property location, certification, and date.
- Scale and compass orientation.
- Tract boundary lines, courses, and distances, including all easements.
- Names of abutting property owners. Benchmark with assumed elevation.
- Names and locations of all existing road right-of-ways on or near the tract.
- Location of roads, drives, curbs, gutters, steps, walks, paved areas and the like, indicating types of materials or surfacing.
- Road elevation for all improved roads on or adjacent to property improved gutter elevations on property line side.
- The survey should include opposite side of adjacent street information.
- Location, type, size, and flow of all existing storm and sanitary sewers on or contiguous to the tract, including top and invert elevations of all manholes and inlet and invert elevations of other drainage structures.
- Location, type, and size of all water and gas mains, meter boxes, hydrants, and other appurtenances.
- Location of all utility poles; natural gas and utility pipelines; cable TV, telephone, and power lines (with indication of nearest leads either on-site or off-site), and pertinent information and ownership of all utilities.
- Location of all existing structures on the site, including buildings, foundations, bridges, wells, walls, fences, and rock outcroppings.
- Location of all swamps, springs, streams, drainage ditches, wetlands, lakes, and other bodies of water including line of maximum flood plain if applicable.
- Outline of wooded areas; location of trees, identification of trees by type, identification of trees with trunks over 8 inches in diameter at waist height; and location and identification of any other significant flora and fauna.
- Elevations throughout the site sufficient to develop a complete and thorough contour map for site improvements.
- Construction of permanent property corners such as concrete monuments.
What makes a site feasible?
It depends. A site that is not feasible would likely remain so despite multiple efforts to accommodate its short-comings, design around issues, resolve legal issues, or secure jurisdictional approvals – within what would be considered a reasonable cost and timeframe. Instead, the effort and expense would prove better spent on a different site with fewer issues or more advantages.
An existing site could become less feasible over time depending on how areas and land-use change near it, or due to changes in what the District needs in its facilities. Ask what made it feasible when first constructed. Does the site have historical or cultural value to warrant extra effort or expense to preserve its continued service as a school or administrative facility?
It may not be possible to locate a site that will totally accommodate all needs. The selection committee and community should discuss priorities and agree on what qualities are indispensable.