Maury School Yard Improvements

Dear Maury Community,

Last week, the Maury PTA approved $15,000 to start a long-term effort to
rehabilitate the degraded Maury schoolyard. Given the multitude of very
complex technical design, engineering and cost issues affecting the
redevelopment of the yard, consideration was given to pulling together the
Maury School and Rosemont communities for a professionally facilitated
charette. $10,000 of the approved funding was budgeted for this charette. A
charrette is a professionally facilitated dialogue that brings together
municipal officials, designers, architects, developers and residents to
reach a shared vision or goal for a specific community issue.

The purpose of this charette will be to use the technical and facilitation
expertise of a consultant to collect the ideas and creative inspiration of
the community, frame a long-term plan, create agreeable designs and cost
scenarios for the Maury school yard. At the initial Schoolyard Initiative
meeting, June 12, senior officials in the Alexandria City and Parks
Department addressed several of the technical drainage issues affecting
Maury School and Beach Park. The stormwater runoff from Beach Park seems to
have a particularly negative impact on the playground, the soccer and
baseball fields.

With the PTA funding, we are now in the position to select a consultant
with the appropriate technical and design expertise to help us lead a
charette and develop a new vision. This process is intended to be as
inclusive and transparent as possible and to draw as many creative ideas
from Maury and Rosemont communities.

I was asked to help coordinate the search and review of a potential
consultant for this charette. I would very much like to draw on the energy
and expertise of others in our community to help choose and select the
consultant. Anyone who wishes to contribute their time over the next few
weeks should contact me directly (preferably not to the general readership)
and I will arrange for us to meet and start work as soon as possible.

We believe that the consultant leading the design charette needs to possess
several core qualities. These include:

- Technical (civil engineering) and design experience with stormwater
management and runoff;
- Familiarity with Chesapeake Bay water quality management policies and
rules;
- Understanding of local governmental (i.e. City of Alexandria)
administration;
- Creative design experience with elementary school yards;
- Leadership in community outreach.

The steps involved in the selection and charette process appear to be:

Early July
Meet to develop an outline/final for a request for proposals
Meet to develop a short list of firms to bid on the RFP

Early August
Launch RFP

Early September
Award contract/Meet with consultant to plan charette

End of September/Early October
Charette

Please contact me via email at your earliest convenience to let me know if
you are interested in helping with this process.

Thanks!

Dale Medearis