The Ann Arbor School Board held a workshop Tuesday night to hear about dueling proposed plans to build a new Thurston Elementary School.
The main issue is building the new Thurston next to the Nature Center. Opponents fear flooding, damage to the center and the noise affecting students.
The group Let Thurston Play has an alternative to build the new school on the site of the current building and stage the students elsewhere.
Andrew Vaine is a forensic engineer and Thurston neighbor and parent.
“With a full range of options available, you would simply never choose to build at the far north end of the Thurston property.”
But project design manager Kevin Stansbury says that would increase construction and logistics costs and delay all the planned school construction for three to five years.
“Between 1,390 and 2,048 AAPS students at Logan, Thurston and King would be impacted. It would cost the district $9 to $12.4 million.
Stansbury says the current plan is the only one affordable that meets the needs of students and the district.
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