Lexington, KY - Fayette County Public Schools are going green. No, we're not talking about an earth-friendly theme for the district's annual science fair, but the construction of a new school designed to meet the highest sustainability standards to date for the school district.
Work is about to begin on the $18 million Locust Trace Agriscience Farm off Leestown Road, next to the Federal Medical Center. The farm and buildings will generate all of their own energy from renewable resources, have net zero wastewater, draw potable water from a well and even send human and animal waste into a natural wetlands area on site.
"There are many people interested in this project with a lot of community support, all the way from the federal government down to grassroots groups," said Mary Wright, chief operating officer for FCPS. The farmland was a gift from the federal government, which has a program to dispose of excess property, and was once part of the original 1,000-acre U.S. Narcotics Farm treatment center opened in 1935.
The Locust Trace Agriscience Farm will open for the start of the 2011-12 school year, just one of 17 school district construction projects either underway or awaiting bids. The estimated cost for all of the projects is $199.5 million.
"We have an advisory committee comprised of local business people, veterinarians and farmers," Wright said of the Locust Trace project. "I think this will touch every segment of the community."
Wright credits a proactive and energetic teacher, Carrie Davis, who oversees the agriscience program at Eastside Technical Center, and other staff with lobbying hard for expansion of their programs.
"When the property became available, we had identified a need in this area and things just fell into place. Our school board saw the importance of environmental education. This facility will be a resource for students attending it, but also for students across the district. It will be a natural science lab," Wright concluded.
The project's Sustainability Goals and Strategies document talks about the importance of living lightly on the green fields of Fayette County. "This practice is an ancient human approach to living on Planet Earth - living within the bounty of the land," the statement said. "Green building practices can substantially reduce or eliminate negative environmental impact through high-performance design, waste-reduction construction and sustainable operation practices."
Susan Hill of Tate Hill Jacobs Architects in Lexington is the project's design architect. She and her team designed the Energy Star-rated Athens-Chilesburg Elementary School. She sees Locust Trace as an opportunity to create something unique and to "deal with 'green collar' education and to think differently about how to build, use and educate on that site," she said.
Hill likes that Locust Trace will not need city waste and water systems but will reuse or dispose of materials naturally. "The way we are handling the waste in the building is with what is called a constructed wetland system."
A constructed wetland system pre-treats wastewater by filtration, settling and bacterial decomposition in a natural-looking lined marsh. Sometimes known as a wetpark, it is an artificial swamp for discharges such as wastewater, stormwater runoff or sewage treatment, and it can be a habitat for wildlife.
"It is a more natural process than just building a septic field," Hill added.
Water will also be captured from the roof during rain and snowfall and used for site irrigation and livestock watering. A well has been dug, and water will be potable inside the building.
Day-to-day activities on the farm and in the classroom buildings will be different than at other county schools. Locust Trace Agriscience Farm will initially host 125 students in the morning and another 125 students in the afternoon. The school will not include the typical school features such as a full-blown kitchen and cafeteria or a gym. Eventually, the goal is to expand the farm's offerings to more students from around the district and to welcome members of the community.
Call it good news triggered by bad news, but Hill said that one of the "gifts" of this down economy is that the cost of building Locust Trace will not be as great as it was when Athens-Chilesburg Elementary was built.
"That allows the school district to think 'big picture,'" said Hill. "With lower costs, officials can add features that look to the future."
Personally, what does Hill enjoy most about this design project?
"It's the philosophy of showing students how to live lightly and sustainably on planet Earth. It shows that any given piece of land has limits to what we can produce off of it," she said.
And Hill said she hopes the project assists the local economy and the futures of young Kentuckians.
"The equine and agriscience industries in central Kentucky are important to our economy," she said. "Hopefully, this project will encourage students to stay here and be a part of those industries and to think of them in 21st century ways."
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