At last night’s meeting, the Indiana School Board approved two parts of the proposed Ben Franklin Elementary School project.
The board unanimously approved that the building be raised an additional 12 inches to create additional “Freeboard” above the floodplain. Freeboard is an engineering term for the amount of watertight surface between the building and the lowest possible entry point for flood waters. Tamara Leeper said that as far as the Freeboard was concerned, she had seen what flood damage can do, and she felt that the additional 12 inches would be a good idea.
The fill for the additional 12 inches will come off site, and will cost between $50,000 and $100,000.
The board also approved an order for the architects to move forward with site plan 2-B, which provides a longer queuing area for parents through the faculty parking lots. Both Leeper and Walter Schroth voted no to the plan.
View site plan here
