NOVEMBER 17, 2017, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A7
THEATER,
continued from Page A1
wouldn’t work,” said Nate
Brown, Keizer community
development director.
In October 2016, Chuck
Nakvasil, owner of several the-
aters in Oregon and Washing-
ton, approached the city about
the possibility of a long-term
lease on a portion of the land
across from the Salem-Keizer
Transit Center.
The city has been working
out the lease details during
the past year, but the request
for a design variance is the
surest sign yet that the plan is
moving forward. The granting
of a variance alone is a rarity
for the city.
Since adopting its design
code, only two variances have
been granted. The fi rst was
for additional awnings at the
Smoker Friendly location
on River Road in 2004. The
second, in 2005, was a waiver
for a pedestrian access at the
Willow Lake Treatment Facil-
ity. Approving such variances
is also one of the few actions
the Planning Commission can
take without needing addi-
tional approval by the Keizer
City Council.
Aside from the inherent
problems of having windows
in theater spaces, the request
to replace windows with
landscaping is an attempt to
offset the size of the nine-
screen theater.
“This planting plan is a
natural-look with a random
placement of vertical trees. It
is a 35-foot building and the
intent is to break up some of
the verticality,” Brown said.
Jeremy Grenz, of Multitech
Engineering, the engineer-
ing fi rm for the project, said
he was personally excited to
be involved in the project to
bring a theater back to Keizer.
“That the city planners are
willing to work with us tells
me that they understand the
excitement around this proj-
ect,” Grenz said.
Keizer did have a theater in
the past – located at what is
now Skyline Ford – but it was
shuttered in the 1990s.
Commissioner
Garry
Whalen asked whether the
city or the tenant would be
responsible for maintaining
the landscaping given the na-
ture of the lease. Brown said
the theater owner would have
responsibility for the mainte-
nance.
Whalen also wanted it to
be known that the variance
was being approved because
of the unique nature of the
development, not because the
city was trying to sidestep its
own development code on
property it owned.
BOND,
continued from Page A1
Matt Haymowicz, an or-
chestra parent, said, “In the
same way you can’t add a sink
to a room and call it a science
lab, you can’t add a music
stand to a room and call it an
orchestra room.”
McNary principal Erik Jes-
persen said he was all ears.
“We have a choir room, a
band room and an orchestra
closet,” Jespersen said. “That
sort of thing is what we’d like
feedback on.”
Everyone at the meet-
ing was given a survey with
four questions: Does the con-
cept meet your vision for the
growth of the school? Does
this concept support your
child’s learning? Does this
concept support your child’s
safety? And knowing that
there isn’t much fl exibility
with the budgeted amount,
are there changes you would
recommend?
The results will be shared
with the school board and
used to fi nalize the bond
package.
In order to make changes to
the orchestra room, McNary
would have to take money
away from other projects.
The new construction at
McNary would take place on
the turf fi eld side of the cam-
pus. Jespersen added spending
money in the current build-
ing, where the orchestra room
is currently located, is more
expensive because of code
compliance.
Construction would begin
in the summer of 2019 and be
completed in September of
2020.
Michael Wolfe, chief opera-
tions offi ce for the school dis-
trict, led the forum.
“This is not a wish list, these
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Gubser Principal Dave Bertholf discusses changes planned for his school with parents during a
listening session for the May 2018 school bond.
are real needs,” Wolfe said.
Salem-Keizer School Dis-
trict has grown by 1,745
students since the last bond
passed in 2008 and is expect-
ed to grow by another 1,000
in the next fi ve years.
Wolfe said if the district did
nothing, there would be no
room for 1,300 high school-
ers and that number jumps to
2,200 without portables.
The needs for each school
were determined by an
18-member citizen’s facilities
task force over three and half
months, who recommended a
$766 million bond.
However, a community
survey showed that price tag,
which would result in an in-
crease of $3 per thousand of
accessed property value, was a
little too high.
Wolfe added that poll-
ing showed for the fi rst time
in decades that people were
willing to pay more, just not
that much. A $620 million
bond would be an increase of
$1.28 to $1.39.
The majority of the money,
$433.5 million, would go to-
wards adding capacity to sup-
port enrollment and educa-
tional programs.
Construction at Claggett
Creek Middle School, which
would begin in 2020, in-
cludes cafeteria expansion
and repurposing two general
classrooms into science labs.
Whiteaker would also turn a
general classroom into a sci-
ence lab as well as replace its
gym fl oor.
Two elementary schools,
Gubser and Keizer, would get
new cafeterias, kitchens and
classrooms. Cummings is set
to expand its cafeteria. Con-
struction at Cummings and
Gubser would begin in 2020
and at Keizer Elementary in
2022.
Weddle Elementary is al-
ready over capacity but has
no room to expand due to
wetlands. However, other el-
ementary schools, like Ken-
nedy and Forest Ridge, are
under capacity.
“There will need to be
changes in Keizer’s feeder sys-
tem,” Wolfe said, referring to
boundaries.
Increasing the safety of
schools in the event of a seis-
mic event like an earthquake
would cost $66 million.
Wolf said each structure
was evaluated for risk of col-
lapse and $56 million would
be used to make sure people
can get out of buildings in
case of an emergency. The
other $10 million will in-
crease the design standard of
new additions to an immedi-
ate re-occupancy standard.
The rest of the bond would
go towards an increase in safe-
ty and security ($33 million),
non-routine
maintenance
($73.5 million) and technol-
ogy and upgrades that comply
with the Americans with Dis-
abilities Act ($13.2 million).
“These numbers are not fi -
nal. That’s what these sessions
are about,” Wolfe said.
The school board will fi -
nalize the bond package in
January to be put on the May
ballot.
To follow the develop-
ments, go to www.salemkeiz-
er.org/about/2018-bond-
measure.
Business&Services
FUNERAL HOME
MEMORY CARE
NURSING & REHAB
FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED FOR OVER 39 YEARS
Memorial Centers
Cremation & Burial
Our family serving your family
Salem - 412 Lancaster Dr / 503-581-6265
Low Cost Cremation,
Burial, & Funerals
Simple Cremation - $595
Simple Direct Burial - $710
Traditional Funeral - $2,275
24-H OUR S KILLED N URSING • T HERAPY • W OUND M ANAGEMENT
L ONG T ERM C ARE • D EMENTIA C ARE • A WARD W INNING A CTIVITIES
D ELICIOUS H OMEMADE F OOD • L OVELY S URROUNDINGS • C ARING S TAFF
4062 A RLETA A VE NE • K EIZER , OR • 503-390-2271
WWW .S HERWOOD P ARK . COM
www.ANewTradition.com
CR
1229
CR
PLUMBING
LAWN SERVICES
REAL ESTATE
COMPLETE LAWN & GARDEN CARE
Yard cleanups, mowing, pruning,
bark dusting, and more!
Ken Ream 503-881-5335
Carolyn Ream 503-551-3656
Creating Change Starts With Us!
You have options — we are different. We go above
and beyond what most Realtors will do. If selling,
we help you paint, pressure wash, move you,
and help you with staging your home. If buying,
there are two of us always available to meet
your needs and help you through the process.
FIND OUT MORE AT www.KenReam.JohnLScott.com
CALL TODAY - 503.304.8849
CR
CR
CR
REAL ESTATE
REAL ESTATE
Bringing You
Closer To Home
The McVays are Keizer
Born, raised, & residing in Keizer, the McVays have 27 combined years of
experience with Coldwell Banker. They know this market and are here to help!
PRODUCTS
Topsoil, Crushed Rock
Round Rock
Pea Gravel
KAREN COTA
Your goals are their priority
Principal Broker/Owner
You haul or we deliver
Prompt Service - Saturday until noon
4131 River Rd N, Keizer
Offi ce: 503.990.6600
Cell: 541.913.8192
503.510.6827
mcvaythree@gmail.com
Phone quotes
393-8920
17 Years in SALES and PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
CR
CR
824 Windsor Island Rd. N. • KEIZER
CR
YOUR MORTGAGE
VETERINARIAN
SCREEN PRINTING
Nelson Lomax , Mortgage Loan Originator NMLS #271083
VEHICLE WRAPS
EMBROIDERY & MORE!
Team & Fan Wear • Banners
Stickers • Window Tinting
Offi ce: 503-581-8100
Cell: 503-910-8510
Nelson@landmarkprofessional.net
503.390.5222
FIND US BY Point S Tires
3818 River Rd N, Keizer
CreeksideVetKeizer.com
113 McNary Estates Dr N, Suite B – Next to Don Suklis State Farm Insurance
503.991.5316
CR
Windsor Rock
AT HOME REAL ESTATE
BRIAN & APRIL McVAY
VEHICLE GRAPHICS
SAND & GRAVEL
CR
NMLS #399162
OR LIC #ML -5038
WA LIC #MB-399162
1255 Lee St. SE, Suite 200, Salem, OR 97302
0202