A fence posted outside of Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences, where construction is set to begin next week on a ramp.

by Kevin Dicciani

Construction will begin next week on the ramp at Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences.

Work is scheduled to begin the week of Oct. 17. Construction will take place Monday through Friday between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and will be done off-street, within the school’s confines, and is expected to last 60 days.

The ramp, which will provide emergency and delivery vehicles access to the school, has been in the works for almost three years. Over the course of the past year, the School District of Philadelphia has met numerous times with nearby neighbors, Jenks leadership and the Chestnut Hill Community Association and its various committees.

Neighbors have mainly been opposed to the ramp. At previous meetings held with the district and the CHCA’s Land Use Planning and Zoning Committee, they said they were concerned the lot attached to the ramp would be used for staff parking and that Jenks’ schoolyard would decrease by one-third. They also found fault with the district’s plans to build an alcove to store trash farther up the street and opposite residences. The district said it did not have enough funds in its budget to pay for a redesign.

Laura Lucas, president of the Chestnut Hill Community Association, told the Local on Oct. 10 that the meetings featured “a long exchange of ideas and compromises, so that the school would have a safe entry point for deliveries, and that the project would not be as invasive to the neighbors.”

“Our goal is always to try to bring together key stakeholders and work together for compromises and solutions that make each project better for all those involved,” Lucas said. “The CHCA is pleased that all three parties have come together to make compromises, concessions and agreements to make sure this project moves smoothly.”

As far as what those concessions look like, Lucas said the district has promised not to use the lot as a parking area for staff. She also said the district has ensured that the architectural integrity of the facade wall will be maintained. The Wissahickon schist and materials that comprise the facade wall will be repurposed to build the ramp, and the portions of the ramp that are not fitted with the repurposed stone will be stained to match the schist and other materials.

Phase two of construction is scheduled to begin next spring. The district has committed to a planting plan that will see a flower garden installed along the Ardleigh Street side of Jenks. The garden will include two crab apple trees that will be replanted after they have been removed during construction.

The next meeting with nearby neighbors, the district and the CHCA will be scheduled within the next month.