In an effort to keep the public informed of the new Morgan project, The Morgan Building Committee will submit an article semi-monthly to the Harbor News. To suggest topics or request answers to questions, write to morganbuildingcmt@clintonct.net.

The landscape design for the proposed Morgan school creates a strong connection between the student and the natural environment while promoting the concepts of environmental stewardship and sustainability.

The main entrances along the Killingworth Turnpike welcome you into a high school campus setting, which augments the rural New England character of the town of Clinton. Inspired by the agricultural history of the site and visually reminiscent of gentle, rolling farm fields, low earthen mounds will rise and fall between pedestrian walkways, shaded by large deciduous trees creating natural seating areas. Pedestrian plazas welcome students and faculty into the building while providing comfortable gathering spaces to encourage outdoor learning as well as an outdoor extension of the school cafeteria. At the campus center, plantings will consist of a simple palette of lawn, large shade trees, and understory trees. Along the perimeter of the parking lots, the plantings will begin to transition into the surrounding forest and wetlands areas and will consist of native grass and colorful wildflower meadows spotted with additional trees. Proposed plant material is native to the local region and is designed to be drought-tolerant and require minimal water.

Stormwater that gathers from the building and parking lots will travel through multiple, highly planted rain gardens and stormwater basins in order to filter the water before it reaches the Indian River, which runs through the center of the site. A buffer will be extended from the river as well, and will be planted with native trees, shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers in order to further enhance this waterway. Bridges draped in the canopy of the protected large existing trees along the river will provide vehicular and pedestrian connections between the east and west sides of the site. The east side of the site will consist of various natural turf athletic fields, which will be the only irrigated turf on site in order to minimize water usage.

Overall, the design for the new Morgan School provides an extension of the learning environment into the outdoors in order to create a stimulating, colorful, and environmentally responsible educational campus that is embedded in a sustainable, green landscape.

All meetings of the Morgan Building Committee are open to the public. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at 7 p.m.