Section 349.1. Definitions

The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

Architectural area—The sum of the areas of the several floors, including basements, mezzanine and intermediate floored tiers and penthouses of headroom height (6'-6" minimum), measured from the exterior faces of exterior walls or from the center line of walls separating buildings; covered walkways, open roofed-over areas that are paved shall have the architectural area multiplied by an area factor of 0.50; architectural area does not include such features as pipe trenches, exterior terraces or steps, chimneys and roof overhangs.

Department—The Department of Education of the Commonwealth.

Existing value—The proportionate value which an existing structure plus necessary alterations thereto will bear to the reimbursable value of a completed educational facility.

Long term lease—A lease of at least 5 years but not more than 40 years.

Maximum building construction cost—Includes general construction, heating and ventilating, plumbing, electrical, other structural expense, fixtures and equipment, and architectural and engineering fees on these items; the maximum building construction cost does not include rough grading, necessary grouting or shoring, excavation outside the building perimeter, special foundations, access roads, costs of utilities to and on the site, curbing and walks required by local ordinance, sewage disposal, site development, site acquisition, and architectural and engineering fees on these items; the cost of fixtures and equipment is not included in the maximum building construction cost for area vocational-technical schools.

Maximum project cost—Building construction cost, plus all other costs of the project proposal including land, grading, fees, and the like.

Rough grading—Confined to clearing and grubbing a site of natural growth, fences, surface fieldstone, stumps, and such cut and fill as may be required to meet the established standard finish grades; rough grading shall not include such items as finished roadways and walks, demolition of buildings, strip mining of coal, mining of any minerals, supporting of mine roofs to prevent subsidence, or similar operations.

Scheduled area—Includes instructional spaces such as classrooms, laboratories, planetaria, observatories, student project rooms, student activity rooms, seminar rooms, shops, band and chorus stations, physical education stations and other areas which accommodate direct student instruction; also includes general use areas such as libraries, instructional materials centers, locker and shower rooms, team rooms, instructors’ offices, multi-purpose rooms, cafeterias—including kitchen and storage, auditoriums—including stage, health and first-aid rooms, and faculty rooms; administrative office suites—including conference rooms—are also included; service areas, such as general storage, toilet rooms, custodian rooms, maintenance areas, utilities areas are not included; circulation areas such as hallways and stairways are not included.

Usable acreage—Acreage which has or which can reasonably be prepared to have slopes and gradients which will accommodate the educational, structural, operational, aesthetic and community purposes for which a school site is acquired.

The provisions of this § 349.1 amended November 3, 1978, effective March 10, 1979, 9 Pa.B. 775. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (38630).