Regional School Unit 5 has yet another plan to consider for the entrance loop in front of Freeport High School, which is part of a $14.6 million renovation and subject to a site plan amendment approval from the Freeport Project Review Board.

The new plan, designed by PDT Architects of Portland, would still save a tree planted 25 years ago at the front of the school in honor of Craig Richard, following his death in a bicycling accident. Earlier this month, PDT Architects showed the Project Review Board a second plan that also would have saved the maple tree, in place of the original proposal that would have removed it.

Members of Richard’s family have said they are fine with any procedure that keeps the memorial tree in place.

The Project Review Board will decide on a site plan amendment for the RSU 5 project at its next meeting, scheduled for Aug. 12 at 6 p.m.

Cliff Goodall, Project Review Board chairman, said Friday that earlier in the week, PDT presented its latest proposal for the driveway loop to the Freeport High School Advisory Building Committee, as well as to the town planner, police chief and fire chief. It’s a completely new design for the entryway to the school, Goodall said.

“Instead of the loop going in back of the tree, there would be a slight modification to existing parking and the driveway, and (the loop) would go in front of the tree,” he said. “The new plan is probably more protective of the tree. The architect also met with the Traffic and Parking Committee. There would be an extended fire lane, elimination of one parking spot and the addition of one designated parking spot for the school police officer.”

John Simoneau of Durham, chairman of the Freeport High School Building Advisory Committee, said that the newest PDT plan does a better job of preserving a buffer between school grounds and a nearby condominium association, and also preserving the landscape – the tree included – in front of the school.

“Traffic-wise, there’s a little bit of a compromise in parking,” Simoneau said. “But the plan B profile was problematic with ledge. It would have included more blasting, and would have been more disruptive to the area, including the condos, the memorial tree and some nearby pines.”

At its last meeting, the Project Review Board aired concerns regarding the lack of a buffer between the school’s playing field and nearby homes. The footprint of the playing field leaves little or no space for trees or bushes to be planted between the field and those residences. That could be an issue on Aug. 12, Goodall said.

“The school is asking for a complete waiver of buffer requirements,” Goodall said.

Goodall also mentioned a proposal on the part of some community members to build a synthetic turf field and eight-lane track at the athletic field, in place of the grass field. A group of Freeport, Durham and Pownal residents have formed the Tri-Town Track and Field Project, headed by a steering committee. The committee estimates that a synthetic turf field and track, built mostly from private funds, would cost $2.5 million to $3 million.

The steering committee also wants to leverage $600,000 that RSU 5 has earmarked for re-sodding and drainage improvements to the existing field, which suffers from heavy use. RSU 5 lawyers are studying the language of the $14.6 million bond passed by voters last fall, to determine if money meant for improvement of the athletic field could be used to install the synthetic turf field and track.

Goodall said that the RSU 5 application for a site plan amendment includes a natural grass field with drainage improvements. RSU 5 would need to amend its application if the proposal is changed to include an artificial turf field and track, he said.