Brunswick Planning Commission holds public hearing for Kidder Elementary School site improvements

BRUNSWICK — Brunswick Planning Commission approved the detailed site plan for Kidder Elementary School's improvements during its meeting on Thursday. The project consists of adding a second driveway on Grafton Road that will connect to a 76-space parking lot expansion. An earthen mound will be created to prevent headlights from shining into nearby residences. "When (my children went to Kidder), cars were parked all the way down the grass …" Planning Commission Chairman Joe Shirilla said. "Some people just said heck with it all, and they'd leave it wherever because the concert already started, and they couldn't get in. Glad we're finally addressing that." Brunswick City Engineer Matt Jones said the new lot will give parents space to wait in line in a separate area from buses during drop-off and pick-up times. Staff will help direct car traffic in the new lot, while the buses will use the existing driveway to enter and exit the school. "We can queue up to 50 or more cars in that lot," Scott Alleman from ThenDesign Architecture said. "That's essentially relieving the impacts on neighboring public streets." The end of Melrose Drive directly connects into the existing Kidder parking lot. During the meeting, nearby residents said there has been constant traffic flow and speeding in the surrounding residential area since vehicles have been coming to and from the school using Melrose Drive. Brunswick Schools Superintendent Jason Niedermeyer said putting Kidder traffic on Melrose Drive was a temporary solution, and the district does not intend to continue doing so. The residents in attendance and Ward 3 Councilman Brandon Lambert advocated for a gate to be installed to prevent day-to-day traffic on the Melrose exit. "The school district does not have a desire to install a gate specifically for the safety and security of our students and staff," Niedermeyer said. "In our work with the safety forces, they made it abundantly clear they would like to have quick access to all parts of the building, wherever they can get there." The Planning Commission decided it is outside their purview to determine whether a gate should be installed, since the detailed site plan was about a new parking lot. Lambert said he will bring up installing a gate during Brunswick City Council's upcoming goal-setting session. "I'm just going to go and take this right to Council and attack it directly," he said. "We don't have to worry about it tonight." The project at Kidder is funded by a bond issue which passed during the last May election. The bond issue aims to complete Brunswick City Schools' facilities master plan by building a new Brunswick High School, making site improvements at some of the elementary schools and more. The school district estimates the site improvements at Kidder will be complete in August. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.