Springfield allows Cheltenham School District to use property as middle school

After months of battling mold and brainstorming ideas for new school locations, Cheltenham School District has found a new home for its middle school students.

Cheltenham School Districts middle school, Cedarbrook, was faced with a mold problem due to infrastructure problems, and despite remediation efforts, the mold kept creeping back in. Looking for a new middle school location, the district plans to split its students among three locations: Cheltenham High School, St. Josephs in Cheltenham and a school building at 1331 Ivy Hill Road, Wyndmoor.

Cheltenham sought a variance to allow the Ivy Hill Road building to be used as a middle school at a Springfield Township Zoning Hearing Board meeting Feb. 24. The district also sought relief for parking; the parking provision required 525 spaces, and Cheltenham sought to reduce the number to 219 spaces.

After testimony from three witnesses and comments from two residents, the zoning board decided to grant the districts request for both the use of the industrially zoned building and for the reduced number of parking spots.

As background, back in 2004-05, the property obtained zoning relief for an elementary school, day care, retail, business and sanctuary use, but the project was not fully completed, according to the districts counsel, Andrew R. Freimuth. West Oak Lane Church of God received a use of occupancy permit for a school and day care at the Ivy Hill location and used the space for some time, Freimuth said. The property was then acquired by Allegheny East Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists in December, he said.

Now, the district is in the process of signing a lease with the owners to use the building until June 2016, with an option to renew for a year, Freimuth said.

Pastor Pete Palmer, of AEC, testified as a witness and said AEC is hoping to use the property in the future as a Christian, private school. Palmer said the space has been more or less vacant since 2012. He acknowledged there were some improvements needed on the property, such as issues with curbing, the apron driveway and sidewalks. Palmer said AEC intends to make these improvements when the weather allows it.

Cedarbrook Middle School Principal Iris Parker also testified as a witness and gave some background as to how the school intends to use the Ivy Hill building.

She explained Cedarbrook saw several challenges with its building, such as its roof, HVAC system and walls, which has led to water infiltration and mold.

There have been numerous remediation projects, and they last for a while, and then they fail. And then the mold comes back. Its a constant issue, and its becoming a dire situation, Parker said. Continued...

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Springfield allows Cheltenham School District to use property as middle school