for those opposing new Seven Locks

County planners hosted the sixth meeting on the design for a new school on Kendale Road that is slated to replace the existing Seven Locks Elementary School.

But many among the 100 or so people at Thursday's meeting had more than the pitch of a roofline on their minds.

The sometimes contentious discussion veered from design issues to the various controversies that have surrounded the plan for months -- including the prospect of affordable housing going up on the existing school's site on Seven Locks Road.

The county plans to open the new school in September 2007 at a site about one mile away from the existing school. It will cost an estimated $14 million to build and hold a core capacity of 740 students. The existing school, one of the smallest in the county, has a 294-student capacity and would cost an estimated $17.7 million to expand and renovate.

Some at the meeting objected to what they described as a lack of community input into the county's decision-making process and challenged the costs of its construction.

Still others advocated its construction as a way of relieving overcrowding at surrounding elementary schools.

"This cluster needs a new elementary school and this site is the only site the cluster has to build on," said Julie Dobson, PTA president at nearby Potomac Elementary School. "I haven't given up on saving [existing] Seven Locks but our schools are so overcrowded we need a new elementary school."

But Jim Tokar, Montgomery County Public Schools project manager, repeatedly called the meeting back to just one purpose -- seeking input on the design of the new replacement school.

"I'm not going to debate this," he said. "We are where we are [in the process]."

Tokar agreed to one more meeting on Jan. 27 to "look for general acceptance and input" on the design. He asked that any questions related to other issues be sent in writing so he could direct them to the appropriate county office for a response.

"But we are moving on with the process," he said.

He said the proposed design evolved at five different facility advisory committee meetings held over the past four months involving county planners, architects, neighboring residents and school staff.

About 100 letters went to neighboring residents, civic associations and other relevant parties seeking their involvement in the meetings, he said

But that did not mollify several people who said they were never notified of the meetings but still wanted a say in the design process.

The proposed design features a village-like façade, with gabled roofs, a brick base and warm ochre tones on the walls.

The one- and two-story structure will have a "clear-story" glass structure over the media center and appear "compact" from Kendale Road, said Michael Poness, the project architect.

"Our notion is to make [the school] child-friendly, small-scale and inviting," he said.

Although the building design met with general approval, some said the school lacked sufficient parking for school events and objected to having to share just one field for both soccer and softball.

"You're trying to put a square peg into a round hole by building that size school on a small lot on a country road," said one man.

The planners said the fields and parking met county standards.

As the design process moves forward, a grassroots movement to save the existing school continues to pressure county officials.

Cyril Draffin, president of the Save Seven Locks Coalition comprised of six neighborhood civic associations, believes the renovation costs are overblown while the replacement costs are under represented.

He brought those concerns to Montgomery County Councilman Steven A. Silverman (D-At large) of Silver Spring last month.

Silverman has now requested an update from the Montgomery County Board of Education on estimated costs of storm water management and road construction at the new site. He expects to receive those figures in a couple of months.

"The council will review this project again in May when we vote money for school construction," he said. "Historically, the council has never overridden a decision by the school board as to a site location for a new school. But in this case...the council needs to review whether building the new school is financially the right thing to do."