Monta Loma Outdoor Improvements Project

Graphic: What do you want to see at ML

Update: November 2024

 ML postcard thumbnail  Monta Loma Thumbnail graphic
Click here for the neighborhood newsletter with diagrams (English)  En Español

As a school and neighborhood community, we have worked together in recent years to balance how to designate safe outdoor space for students during the school day on the Monta Loma School fields, while preserving as much open space as possible for the public.

Our Board of Trustees and the District view sharing our green space as our pledge to the community we serve.  As the owner of the largest amount of green space, the District recognizes that we are partners with every neighborhood. 

Discussions with the community: The District and the community engaged in public input, focus groups, community discussions, and surveys on this topic starting in 2021. Fencing will help delineate student and public areas. Trustees approved a fencing design on Sept. 7, 2023. Refined plans were presented to the community this spring and there was a community meeting in February.

Installation of fencing:
We anticipate installation of fencing could start at the end of November 2024 and last until February 2025. 

Features include:
* Ornamental iron fencing, gates, and chainlink
* In case of emergencies, easy access of students out of the fenced area and emergency personnel into the area
* Automatic unlocking/locking of pedestrian gates at designated times for consistency (added some time after the fences are installed). 

We thank you for your input and patience with this process. We look forward to sharing Monta Loma greenspace with you. 

Update: March 15, 2024

On March 14, 2024, the Board approved the final schematic design

MVWSD is grateful for the community’s engagement on this topic. To read more about the three-year process, please see the information below.

Update: February 2024

After many meetings and rounds of community input, the Board of Trustees voted in September 2023 to move forward with the “option one” fence design. This design has been further refined in preparation for construction. 
MVWSD held a community meeting to view the proposed schematic designs on Feb. 27, 2024. Staff presented the fencing designs and answered questions.

Update: September 2023


On Thursday, Aug. 17, our Board of Trustees studied three project options that will attempt to carve out safe outdoor space for students, while at the same time preserve as much open space as possible in this draft design here. This option strikes the appropriate balance between school field use and community access during the day, without the need for signs, security and uncomfortable moments.  

We thank you for your patience in this long process, and we hope that you will continue the conversation with us. 

We invited community members to give further input:
  * Community meeting, Aug. 24, 2023 at 5 pm in the Monta Loma Elementary Multi-use room (with Carducci & Associates)
  * Email your comments to [email protected] by Aug. 24, 2023
  * See us at the Monta Loma Ice Cream Social on Aug. 27, 2023 
  * Attend the Board of Trustees special meeting on Aug. 28, 2023

Decision: On Sept. 7, 2023, the Board of Trustees approved option one as a conceptual design for fencing with the goal of balancing school field use and community access during the day.  Now that a concept has been approved, the next steps in the process are schematic design, which may have minor changes, preparation of construction documents, state review, bid period, award of contract, and then construction. 

Regular "Sharing Monta Loma" updates to the community

Outdoor improvements project process update - January 2022
Outdoor improvements project process update - January 2022 (Spanish/español)

Outdoor improvements project process update - December 2021
Outdoor improvements project process update - December 2021  (Spanish/español)

Pathway connected, Architect to be hired - September 2021
Pathway connected, Architect to be hired - September 2021 (Spanish/español)

Summer pilot program and Trustees' commitment - July 2021
Summer pilot program and Trustees' commitment - July 2021 (Spanish/español)

Reimaging Monta Loma Outdoor Space

The Board of Trustees approved Carducci Associates on Sept. 9, 2021 as the architectural design firm for the Monta Loma Outdoor Improvements Project. MVWSD and the City  worked together to guide the design process and to hold multiple meetings to hear community input. The goal was to receive all input to create a comprehensive design that provides for many school and community uses.

Outdoor Areas Imagery Packet (click here): These images represent the way the school and community currently may use the Monta Loma outdoor spaces for social gatherings, recreation and outdoor learning. We also hope the images spur ideas of what else may be developed in this beautiful, shared space in the future. (Imagery packet for students and teachers.)

Surveys:
To give feedback about reconfiguration and improvements to the outdoor areas at Monta Loma, please send an email to: [email protected]

If you are a student at Monta Loma, please complete this survey to record your thoughts. http://mvw.sd/StudentSurvey 

Past Community Outreach Meeting Schedule and Description:

MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting - Public
Thursday, December 9, 2021. For agenda and details, please see mvwsd.org/trustees. Meeting with the Board of Trustees to review the community engagement process.
Meeting 1: Community input process  - Public
Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at 6 pm
 This was a public kick-off meeting to review the public outreach process.

Meeting materials:
Download the presentation
Download the site photos exhibits
Download the existing conditions diagrams

Meeting 8 and 9: Community input meeting A - Public
Meeting 8: Community meeting A
Thursday, January 27, 2022 at 6 pm

Meeting 9: Community Meeting A (Repeat)
Saturday, January 29, 2022  at 10 am

To view the feedback given by participants at this meeting, please review the presentation board here: http://mvw.sd/ABoard

MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting  - Public
Thursday, February 10, 2022. For agenda and details, please see mvwsd.org/trustees.
Meeting with the Board of Trustees to review focus group and community meeting input. To view the presentation, click here.

Meetings 10 and 11: Present options based on input - Public
Meeting 10: Community meeting B
Wednesday, February 16, 2022  at 6 pm
 
Meeting 11: Community meeting B (Repeat)
Saturday, February 19, 2022  at 10 am

City Council Update - Public
Tuesday, March 8, 2022  at 5 p.m.
Click here for agenda and details

Meetings 12 and 13: Update on process; no feedback being collected. Please see “Surveys” section above to record your feedback. - Public
Meeting 12: Community meeting C
Wednesday, March 9, 2022  at 6 pm

Meeting 13: Community meeting C (Repeat)
Saturday, March 12, 2022  at 10 am
 
MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting  - Public
Thursday, March 24, 2022 . For agenda and details, please see mvwsd.org/trustees.
Meeting with the Board of Trustees to review expanded scope and future growth.

Meetings 14 and 15: Community meetings - Public
To cover the new direction of considering Monta Loma Outdoor Improvements in the larger context of enrollment growth throughout the school district.

Meeting 14: Community meeting D
Wednesday, April 6, 2022  at 6 pm

Meeting 15: Community meeting D (Repeat) - Cancelled

MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting - Public
Thursday, May 5, 2022. For agenda and details, please see mvwsd.org/trustees.
Update meeting with the Board of Trustees.

Focus groups

In addition to public meetings, we sought input from the community in focus groups. In order to function effectively as research groups, membership was limited to 10 people for each group. Members will be chosen randomly from the applications submitted. 

Meeting 2: City Staff focus group
Tuesday, January 4, 2022  at 4 pm.
This is a meeting for city staff. 

Meeting 3: School focus group
Wednesday, January 5, 2022  at 4:30pm
This is a meeting for school staff and parents.
 
Meeting 4: City Recreation Leagues focus group
Thursday, January 6, 2022  at 6 pm
This is a meeting for city sports group users.
 
Meeting 5: Seniors focus group
Wednesday, January 19, 2022  at 6 pm
This is a meeting for seniors who are regular Monta Loma site users and 55 years of age or older.

Meeting 6: Families focus group
Thursday, January 20, 2022  at 6 pm
This is a meeting for Families with young children who regularly use the Monta Loma site.

Meeting 7: Neighborhood focus group
Wednesday, January 26, 2022  at 6 pm
This is a meeting for regular Monta Loma site users who live in an adjacent neighborhood. 

 
Project materials and resources

To view the Sept. 9, 2021 presentation, please click here.

To review the summer field use pilot program, please click here.

To review the June 3 Monta Loma field presentation, click here.

To see a video recording of the June 3 Board of Trustees discussion about Monta Loma green space, click here

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