Updated: September 2024

Project Scope & Schedule

What is the scope of the project?

The enrolment capacity of the new school will accommodate 60 Kindergarten and 525 elementary students, for a total design capacity of 585 students. The project scope also includes a 300 meter squared Neighbourhood Learning Centre (NLC) space, funding for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction measures and mass timber construction.

Will there be a daycare and before and after school care?

The project scope includes two dedicated child care spaces:

• 12 infant/toddler spaces
  
• 25 spaces for ages 30 to 60 months 

The child care space is funded separately through the City of North Vancouver’s $3.5 million contribution, and an application for additional funding has been made to the B.C. Child Care New Spaces Fund. This additional funding is intended to maximize the child care potential and use of the Neighbourhood Learning Centre space for before and after school care.

Will there be community space to use in the new school?

Yes, the new school will have the opportunity for community use and rentals once the project is completed.

What was the capacity of the existing school building and why is it being replaced? 

The capacity of the existing school was built to accommodate 20 Kindergarten and 225 elementary students. This capacity is insufficient to address the community's growth needs and the existing building is beyond its useful life.

What will happen to the existing building?

The existing building is currently being abated of any hazardous building materials. Demolition will follow and is expected to be completed by mid-May 2024. 

Will the site remain open to the public? 

The tennis courts and park areas to the east will remained open to the public until September 23, 2024, after the project general contractor mobilized on the site.

You may find an alternative tennis court by visiting cnv.org/tennis.

You may find an alternative tennis court by visiting cnv.org/parks.

What project activities have been completed to date?

During the summer and fall of 2023, there was an increased presence of consultants and/or contractors on the property as further investigations were undertaken to inform the new school’s design.

The following activities have been completed:

• Geotechnical investigation involving drilling of test holes or small excavations in a variety of locations to assess underlying soil conditions throughout the property. View the Geotechnical Report here.
  
• Arborist inventory and assessment of the health and condition of all trees on the property.
• Tree pruning or removal of unhealthy branches, and/or removal of dead trees, and/or trees deemed to be in poor health.
• Installation of tree protection barriers or fencing at trees deemed to be healthy, at locations where other adjacent work may impact the integrity of healthy trees.
• Surveying of the overall property and adjacent streets.
• Investigation of the existing building for the presence of any hazardous materials.
• Installation of construction fencing to secure the existing school for pre-demolition hazardous materials abatement and subsequent demolition of the existing building.

The following highlights the Ministry of Education and Child Care's project approval process, which in now in the project implementation phase.

What are the next steps in the process?

Following the Ministry of Education and Child Care’s funding announcement for a new elementary school in June 2023, the school district engaged an architect and consulting team to develop a design for the new school. Following the design process, an application will be made to submit the project for municipal review and permitting.

Construction of the new school will commence once permitting is in place, with occupancy planned for the 2026/27 school year.

What is the project timeline?

• Summer 2023: Consulting investigation - completed
  
• Late December 2023: Design developmen - completed
• January 2024: Public information meeting - completed
  
• April 2024: Abatement and demolition of the existing closed school - in progress
  
• May 2024: Building Permit submission
• June 2024: Design completion and tender.
• August 2024: Construction contract awarded and start of construction.
• June 2026: Substantial completion of construction.
• Summer 2026: Occupancy and furnishing of the new school.
• September 2026: Opening of the new school to students and staff.

How can the public learn more about the project? 

The school district held a public information meeting on January 31, 2024, which provided community members an opportunity to learn more about the project, ask questions and submit comments. See below for the information that was shared and collected at the meeting.

• Display boards 
• Public comments collected on January 31, 2024

Design & Development

Why isn't the new school going to be built where the existing school is located?

Various consultants were engaged to develop a Project Definition Report, which is a requirement in Stage Three of the Ministry of Education and Child Care’s project approval process. The report investigated, studied and recommended the most cost-effective and timely project option to implement and deliver a new school on the Cloverley site. 

The costing of each option was redacted from the report to protect the competitive nature of bidding. This was necessary to ensure that the school district received the best value from prospective consultants and contractors who are engaged on the project.  The financial costs will remain confidential and will not be released.

The report considered many factors, including but not limited to, site topography limitations, geotechnical analysis, structural, seismic and civil requirements, plus the construction costs associated with developing a new school on west and east locations of the site. 

The Ministry of Education and Child Care approved implementing the Project Definition Report's recommended option to construct the new school on the east side of the property.

Was a multi-storey school building considered for the site?

Yes. Although a multi-storey structure may have a smaller footprint, there are several factors that need to be considered including additional infrastructure, costs, and considerations of the current character of the surrounding neighbourhood. 

A multi-storey structure would require additional stairways, landings, common corridors, circulation space, washrooms, and other enhanced infrastructure such as structural footings and foundations. The project is also utilizing mass timber to support the Government of British Columbia’s Wood First Initiative. When mass timber building designs exceed two-storeys, they require costly alternative design solutions to meet building code requirements. These additional factors required would be considered a premium in the context of this project and are not options the Ministry would fund. The school district is not in a position to provide any additional funds, therefore did not proceed with this option.

In addition to the financial implications, the vertical massing of a multi-storey school on the site would run counter to the form and character of the surrounding two-storey single family homes in the neighborhood. The two-storey design aligns with the steep grades of the site topography and better conforms to the character of the surrounding community. 

How was green space retention considered in the design of the new school?

Throughout the design process, the consulting team has carefully considered all the constraints and made efforts wherever feasible to compress the site development to maintain as much green space as possible. The steep topography of the site is one of the most significant constraints challenging the design. The placement of the school on the east side of the site will achieve a project that offers the best possible accessibility and deliver a safe and welcoming school for all members of the community while maximizing green space retention.

Regardless of the building massing, the increased capacity of the new school (designed for 585 students which is 2.4 times larger than the old school's capacity), ancillary spaces and amenities will require a larger footprint. These ancillary spaces and amenities include a Neighbourhood Learning Center, daycare spaces for 37 children, parking lot, play field, multi-use sport court, playgrounds, and accessible pathways. 

The footprint of the old school building will be gently regraded and seeded with turf. Any further improvements to the west side of the property are not within the projects scope and funding.

How will the new school design affect the existing tennis courts, park and playground? 

The location of the new school on the east side of the site will require the removal of the existing tennis courts and playground. The proposed site development includes space for new playgrounds, expanded green area on the west side of the property, an all-weather field and multi-sport court. All site amenities will be connected by accessible pathways. Separate funding for the playgrounds will be applied for through local municipal and Ministry funding programs.

Will there be any impact to the trees on the site?

The school district recognizes the value of trees to the community, while ensuring a safe school site for students and community members. There will be two phases regarding the impact on trees on the site.

Phase one included a complete tree inventory and assessments that resulted in tree maintenance and some tree removals completed in December 2023. At the same time, the design development of the new school progressed forward eventually to a finalized design in which all efforts have been made to minimize impacts to trees. The finalized design established the siting of the new school and landscape elements necessary to inform the second phase of tree work required for constructing the new school project. The project will effect trees on both school district and CNV property, both of which have different tree removal requirements:

• Trees on School District property must adhere to CNV Tree Bylaw 2022, No.8888 . Effectively, three (3) new replacement trees must be planted for each tree removed. A dead, dying or hazardous tree that is cut or removed has to be replaced with one (1) tree each.
• Trees on CNV Property must adhere to the CNV Tree Policy for the management of tree on CNV property requires:
• Each CNV tree that is cut or removed with a diameter of less than 30cm requires one (1) replacement tree
• Each CNV tree that is cut or removed with a diameter between 30cm and 60 cm requires two (2) replacement trees
• Each CNV tree that is cut or removed with a diameter greater than 60 cm requires three (3) replacement trees

The latest arborist tree protection site plan can be found here (file coming soon). The site plan shows the trees on both the City of North Vancouver (CNV) Property and School District property that will be removed as part of the Phase 2 tree work.

• Phase 1 - There were are (35) trees that have been removed and will be replaced by (47) trees
• Phase 2 - There are (34) trees on school district property that will be removed and replaced by (102) trees
• Phase 2 - There are (29) trees on CNV property that will be removed and replaced by (57) trees

View the Arborist Report for the Planning and Design Phase of Development here.

View the Arborists memo regarding trees impacted by demolition here.

Will the construction of the new school require additional trees to be removed from the site?

Phase two has yet to be determined, and will follow a similar process, working with the CNV once the location of the new school has been determined. An additional arborist site review will be required to assess the impact of the new site development and construction on the remaining trees on the site. All efforts have been made in the design process to minimize this impact. Any trees impacted by the construction will be replaced according to CNV bylaws. 

What type of playfield and sport court is included in the design?

Space has been allocated in the design for an all-weather gravel play field. Additional area has been allocated for an asphalt multi-sport court.

An artificial turf field (ATF) is not an amenity that is funded by the Ministry or school district and would require a funding partner to achieve this enhancement. The space available for the field is not large enough for a full-sized FIFA field.

Will there be a track incorporated into the landscape design?

No, the size and topography of the site is extremely challenging and would not be able to accommodate a track around the area identified for the all-weather field. A track is also not an amenity eligible to be funded by the Ministry.

Will the field be lit? 

No, field lighting is not an amenity eligible to be funded by the Ministry and would require a funding partner like the CNV to achieve this enhancement.

Transportation & Parking

This project represents an opportunity to provide a safe and efficient multimodal transportation network that prioritizes transit and active modes of transportation, in alignment with provincial, municipal and school district goals and objectives concerning multimodal transportation, social equity, and environmental sustainability. The school is nested within a wider community that will benefit from ongoing multimodal transportation planning and engagement.

The school district engaged Bunt & Associates, a transportation planning and engineering consulting firm, to conduct a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA). The TIA undertook a comprehensive multimodal transportation analysis that studied traffic and parking throughout the area and was informed by requirements provided by the City of North Vancouver (CNV). The TIA evaluated transportation requirements, which helped inform the new school site plan, design and travel plan. While the TIA is not required to be approved by the CNV, the school district will continue to work alongside the CNV and community to develop the ongoing Safe and Active School Travel Program and community transportation planning process.

The CNV, through regulated development planning processes, can request transportation information from development applicants to better understand how a new development could influence its surroundings. In the case of the new school, the proposed use complies with zoning, and no development permit is required.

What is the difference between the Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) and Traffic Management Plan (TMP)?​

A Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) is a study undertaken by a transportation and planning consultant to analyse the potential traffic and transportation impacts that may arise from a new development. A TIA study is undertaken at very early stages of design development. A Traffic Management Plan (TMP) is a requirement for construction projects in the City on North Vancouver (CNV) and also a requirement of the building permit process. A TMP is very specific plan which is unique to each and every construction Project. For the new Cloverley School, the TMP will be produced by our project general contractor and is part of the submission to the CNV for our building permit. The objective of the TMP to provide safe passage for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicular traffic around a construction site with as little inconvenience and delay as possible and with minimal on-street parking removal. Pedestrians and cyclists are top transportation priorities for the CNV and efforts should be made to ensure their safety and accommodation during construction. More information on the CNV's TMP requirements can be found here. Once our contractor has an approved TMP we will update this site with a link.

How will this project address traffic concerns in the Cloverley community?

With the upcoming addition of a new school, the City of North Vancouver's focus is helping students walk and roll as independently and safely as possible —that includes exploring options for intersection improvements, installing missing sidewalks along priority school routes, improving sightlines, and other physical improvements considered by future students, families, and neighbours. Details on work to date can be found on the City's Cloverley Neighbourhood Traffic Calming web page.

The CNV outlined a traffic management strategy, which can be viewed on the Cloverley Neighbourhood Traffic Calming project web page. This information can also be viewed in the document Cloverley Traffic Calming Plan Update, April 28, 2021.

Redevelopment of the existing school site is challenging from a transportation perspective, particularly with the non-aligned intersections at Hendry Ave. and the steep site grades in the north-south directions on both Hendry Ave. and Kennard Ave. Pick-up/drop off activity is proposed to operate based on an advisory clockwise circulation pattern with Cloverley St. providing eastbound access (to Kennard Ave.) and Shavington St. providing westbound access (to Hendry Ave.). By building the new school on the eastern part of the site, pick up and drop off activities near Hendry Ave.’s offset intersections will be discouraged. 

Approximately 65% of the students within the Cloverley catchment area already travel within the transportation study network to other NVSD schools. We anticipate 50 Cloverley students will attend before and after care programs at the new school, which would typically operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and pick-up/drop off would occur outside of peak hour traffic periods. Similarly, we would anticipate the same for the majority of children attending the daycare.

How does the Transportation Impact Assessment propose to address student safety and vehicles short-cutting through the neighbourhood?

It is important to note that vehicles short-cuttings through the Cloverley neighbourhood is primarily the result of incidents on Highway 1 and are considered in the Transportation Impact Assessment on school days. In addition to the proposed advisory circulation system, the assessment also proposed to introduce additional traffic calming, signage, and 30 km/h speed limits to discourage vehicle short-cutting.

Further, the school district will be working with CNV staff to improve the pedestrian and cycling environment at the intersections of Hendry Ave. with Shavington St. and 4th St. East. The school district will proactively educate and advise parents on pickup and drop off protocols and will work with the CNV and the RCMP to monitor the situation and provide enforcement measures.

Why was the data collection period for the Transportation Impact Assessment only three days in duration?

The data collection means, methods and study duration are consistent with and typical for a project of this size and scale. The data from the CNV on vehicle volumes for incident days on Highway 1 was taken into consideration as part of the pick-up/drop-off assessment and informed recommendations to improve traffic calming, signage, and introduction of 30 km/h speed limits.    

How is this project supporting multimodal transportation? 

The school district will work with the CNV to develop safe routes to school and is aiming to have, at minimum, 50% of the students arriving by cycling, walking, rolling and public transit. The new school will also have secure bike storage, bike racks and end of trip facility to support and encourage staff members to use multimodal transportation to commute to work.  

How many secure bike storage spots is the project required to provide, and how many will be provided?

The new school will provide 23 secure (Class A) bicycle spaces (including 2 oversized bilk stalls) and 32 short-term (Class B) bicycle spaces.

Electrical outlets will be provided for the secure bicycle parking stalls.

How many parking spaces will there be on site?

The new school will provide 38 car stalls and 1 loading bay / Handy Dart stall. This includes 6 accessible stalls and 13 Level 2 EV charging stations. ​​

How will this project effect resident parking? Will there be restrictions?

No parking restrictions are proposed at the front of residential properties.  

How will parking for pick-up/drop off activity be addressed?

The pick-up/drop off activity is proposed to occur at the school site’s frontages on Cloverley St. and Shavington St. These streets are currently both two-way with parking allowed on both sides which have similar physical characteristics to streets bordering many of our schools such as nearby Ridgeway Elementary.    

The clockwise, one-way advisory circulatory system proposed will allow for the efficient use of road space for vehicles accessing street parking for pick-up/drop off purposes at the school site’s frontages. No school pick-up/drop-off is planned to occur on Hendry Ave. or Kennard Ave., though both will form part of the advisory circulatory system. The transportation study anticipates that there will be sufficient parking supply to accommodate peak pick-up/drop off parking demand.

What steps will be taken to manage traffic during demolition and construction? 

The general contractors awarded the demolition of the existing school, and the construction of the new school will be required to develop and submit traffic management plans to the CNV as part of the permitting application process. The siting of the new school on the east side of the site will allow for on-site trades parking on the west side of the site minimizing impacts to the local community during the demolition and construction phases of work.  

Sustainability & Environment

Greenhouse Gas Emissions 

The current design is an all-electric facility that is anticipated to reduce operational greenhouse gas emissions by over 80% compared to a traditional school design of similar size.  

Given the extremely low operational carbon, the team is exploring ways of reducing embodied carbon through materials selections. 

Operational Sustainability  

The NVSD embraces most of the operational strategies mentioned in the BC Sustainable Schools Best Practices guide. The guide has been developed to help schools implement actions that support reduction of greenhouse gases and encourage the wise use of resources. It is intended to promote behavioural change that results in a culture of environmental sustainability. 

What features were explored for the new school that support sustainability measures?

Renewable Energy. The design includes roof-mounted PV panels over the Learning Commons and the remaining south-facing roof area has been designed to accommodate additional PV panels in the future.  

Storm Water Management. The project incorporates a bio-swale adjacent to the parking lot. Additional on-site storm water infiltration strategies were explored, but the low permeability of the existing soils was a limiting factor.  

The CNV requires a detention storage volume based on a theoretical 24-hour rainfall depth of 58 mm over the entire site. This is the equivalent of detaining 90% of the average annual rainfall, according to the CNV. That detained storm water can then be released at a rate not exceeding 0.5 litres per second per hectare.  

Rain gardens. Rain gardens can work very well on flat sites where soil conditions permit. These gardens can be used in parking lots, but they are typically employed when stalls are arranged with vehicles nose-to-nose. Placing rain gardens along the outer edges of parking lots is not as effective and would not allow for adjacent accessibility pathways. For a rain garden to work, sufficiently suitable space is required to detain and retain storm water for infiltration. Topography, low soil infiltration rate and constrained space for parking and pathways limits possibilities. 

Rain barrels. Rainwater harvesting could be challenging to incorporate into school settings. Any plans for rainwater harvesting and the management and proposed uses for the captured water would need to be shared in advance with Vancouver Coastal Health to ensure the plans comply with water treatment regulations. 

Permeable paving. Permeable paving surfaces were considered for the project but will not be incorporated into the site design. The soil conditions and site gradients would introduce moisture to the underlying base material which can be subjected to freeze thaw cycles. This may cause premature degradation resulting in inadequate life cycle performance and increased maintenance costs compared to standard surfacing materials.

Green roof. Green roofs were considered for the project but were not incorporated in the design due to the roof slope, structural requirements, and budget limitations. The specialized maintenance requirements are also very challenging to manage with the limited operating budget and maintenance resources.

The urban heat island effect will be reduced through the use of a light-colored high albedo reflective roofing, and biodiversity on the site will be promoted through landscaping design.  

Has an Environmental Sensitive Area (ESA) Assessment been completed for the Cloverley site?

Yes. Hatfield Consultants (Hatfield) was retained by the NVSD to provide an evaluation of the ESA categorization of the Cloverley site. The site is predominantly classified as low value with a narrow band of trees along Shavington St. which has been classified as having moderate value. However, no wildlife features (e.g., raptor nests), at-risk species, or sensitive ecosystems were identified at the site or within a 200-meter radius buffer. The site does not contain streams or riparian areas and the geotechnical site investigation did not identify the presence of current or historical underground streams.

View the Assessment of Environment Sensitive Area here.

Definition of Environmental Sensitive Area  

The City of North Vancouver’s Official Community Plan Bylaw, 2014 (Bylaw No. 8400) (OCP) defines Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) as an evaluation of the significance of an area of land in terms of sustaining or supporting fish and/or wildlife or unique habitat. The entire City of North Vancouver has been assigned to one of four ESA categories (i.e., Low, Moderately Low, Moderate, or High). 

Demolition & Construction

Is there a plan for dust mitigation during construction?

The project's professional consulting team and successful contractor (TBD) will be obligated to design and provide appropriate sediment and dust control measures. These measures must comply with municipal requirements to mitigate erosion and be in place throughout the course of construction. 

Demolition 

Demolition of the existing building and hazardous materials removal must comply with the CNV permitting requirements and WorkSafe BC requirements. This includes submission of the Traffic Management Plan for Demolition, Construction Fire Safety Plan and Notice of Project Form from WorkSafe BC. The existing field will be maintained during the project for the contractors parking and staging requirements.

Pest Control  

A pest control vendor was engaged over four months in advance to demolition to abate and mitigate pests and rodents. This included the placement, monitoring, regular inspection and rebaiting 16 exterior and 16 interior bait stations. Overall activity over these four months have been minimal. 

View the Rodent and Pest Control Report here.

School Catchment & Programs

What will be the catchment area of the new school?

The emerging enrolment and housing growth in the area will continue to be monitored over the next few years, and this data will be used to refine the new school’s catchment by June 2025. 

Which Family of Schools and secondary school will the new school belong to?

The site of the new elementary school currently resides within the Sutherland Secondary Family of Schools (FoS).

How many students is the new school designed to accommodate?

The enrolment capacity of the new school will accommodate 60 Kindergarten and 525 elementary students, for a total design capacity of 585 students.

Will French Immersion be offered at this school? 

No, the new elementary school will be an English language school.

Questions?

Should you have questions about this project, please email fpadmin@sd44.ca.