03/22/2008
Plan for New WPS Shown to Citizens
By: Ann Compton
Note: SLAM is the "Consolidation Architect" and the "attendees" below that are consolidators are shown in "RED" Is there conflict of interest? Where are the parents of the students in WPS. Why are they not attending?
WASHINGTON - Roughly 50 residents filled Bryan Memorial Town Hall Wednesday, March 19, to hear a conceptual plan for a new Washington Primary School on the Shepaug campus.
Town residents will be asked to choose between this plan and one to renovate the existing WPS in the Depot at a town meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 3.
One of these two plans will be implemented if Region 12, consisting of Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington, opts to stay with three individual primary schools in each town rather than build a consolidated regional school.
The report, prepared by the S/L/A/M Collaborative and presented by Kevin Herrick, details a 41,000 square-foot building on the existing field hockey area of the Shepaug campus, which is owned by Region 12 and located within the Washington town boundary. The Gym is oversized at 5,850 Sq Ft. It sholuld be the same as Booth 4,300 Sq Ft. This is an easy compromise.
First Selectman Mark Lyon explained that the Shepaug site was chosen for the purpose of exploring the potential cost of a brand new school. The Board of Selectmen commissioned the Shepaug study after one was completed to renovate the existing WPS.
Discussion and questions from members of the public focused on comparison between the Shepaug plan and one to renovate the existing Washington Primary School located in the Depot within the 100-year flood plain, which virtually excludes such a project from most, if not all, state reimbursement.
Most residents at the meeting expressed support for a plan that would build a new, energy-efficient school over one to renovate an old, problem-laden, existing building.
A preliminary estimate on the renovation of the existing WPS is $13.1 million plus roughly $500,000 in additional costs. According to Mr. Herrick, a new, LEED-certified elementary school would cost the region around $15 million after state reimbursement, with a total cost before reimbursement of $18.8 million. The net of $15 million is $4 million higher than the WPS renovation and would be unacceptable to Bridgewater and Roxbury because it makes the total too high for the voters.
Since this would be a new building, Mr. Herrick said all costs would be eligible for state reimbursement at a discounted rate because of the small enrollment number.
Under that formula, 60 percent of the total 41,000 square-foot project's cost would be eligible for reimbursement, some $3.7 million.
Mr. Lyon explained that the Shepaug site was chosen for the purpose of exploring the potential cost of a brand new school and, if necessary, other sites could be considered. The Net proposal should be for $12 million after the removal of the HS/MS Septic and reduction of the Gym size with the site "to be determined".
He noted that $2.5 million is built into the conceptual plan budget for septic work that could be put toward the purchase of a new site if the Shepaug site is not used. This is not possible! If Washington wants a different site, it must pay for the land from town funds. Removing this from the proposal is an easy compromise.
Resident Peter Tagley pointed out that Shepaug was considered several years ago as a location for a consolidated primary school.
"That didn't go over well in many towns," he said. "Shepaug parents weren't happy with having another school on the grounds."
Mr. Tagley questioned whether the town of Washington or Region 12 would own the school. Presently, the elementary schools in Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington are owned by the towns and leased to the region.
Mr. Lyon replied that it is his assumption that a school built by the region on land owned by the region would belong to the region.
"That would be just fine; then I wouldn't have to go to lease negotiation meetings," he observed, referring to the ongoing and, so far, unsuccessful efforts to negotiate 20-year leases between the three towns and Region 12.
Despite Mr. Lyon's efforts to hold the discussion to a single primary school for Washington, the subject of consolidation continued to rear its head.
Most agreed any discussion on schools was incomplete without a comparison between which is a better option: three elementary schools in each town or one regional school for all.
This brought up the issue of costs.
Region 12 Building Committee member Jay Hubelbank noted that renovating three schools to new would cost millions more than the cost of building one regional school.
A recent report by CREC said that limited renovation of the three schools will cost nearly $6 million more than a consolidated Region 12 school.
A renovate-to-new plan for the three schools will run nearly $8 million more, according to Chris Charles of the Region 12 Building Committee.
Valerie Friedman pointed out that consolidation offers the opportunity to pay less money for maintenance and more on education.
"Three aging schools is three that need constant work," she stressed, adding that in an effort to keep costs to a figure taxpayers would accept, "corners have been cut right and left."
Carlos Canal questioned whether discussion of a new school for Washington might derail plans for a consolidated school - a concern to those who favor one regional school for all three towns.
Board of Education member Valerie Andersen responded that it could "cause the consolidated vote to become more confused than it is already."
A number of residents asked what the town would do with the current WPS if a new one is built.
Mr. Lyon said a committee has been formed to complete a preliminary investigation of that question and will begin meeting this week.
Mr. Canal asked whether Washington can decide if it wants to renovate or build new, or if that is a decision made by the region.
Board of Education member James Hirschfield said it is the town's choice which of the two plans to present to the region, although the final determination would be made by the region.
"There is some urgency to this, however," Mr. Hirschfield said. "The town must make a decision soon which plan it wants to put forward. You can't ask the [Region 12] Building Committee to consider both."
Mr. Lyon promised that an answer and the town's plan choice would be presented to the regional Building Committee following the upcoming town meeting on April 3 in Bryan Memorial Town Hall.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Saturday, March 15, 2008
WPS New School by SLAM 3/15/08
03/15/2008
Additional Public Meeting March 19 Conceptual Plan Presented for New Primary School on Shepaug Campus:
By: Ann Compton
S/L/A/M Collaborative representative Kevin Herrick presented a conceptual report for a new Washington Primary School on the Shepaug campus to a handful of people at a meeting Tuesday, March 11, in Washington.
WASHINGTON - S/L/A/M Collaborative representative Kevin Herrick presented a conceptual report for a new Washington Primary School on the Shepaug campus to a handful of people at a meeting Tuesday, March 11.
The presentation will be repeated at a public information meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, in Bryan Memorial Town Hall.
The Board of Selectmen commissioned the study after one was completed to renovate the existing Washington Primary School in Washington Depot.
The selectmen and a number of residents have questioned the wisdom and the cost of renovating a building located in the flood plain.
First Selectman Mark Lyon explained that the Shepaug site was chosen for the purpose of exploring the potential cost of a brand new school.
According to Mr. Herrick's report, the site, owned by the town, is quite feasible for a building to educate the town's elementary students, at slightly more money than renovating the existing WPS.
A preliminary estimate on the renovation of the existing WPS is between $13 million and $16 million.
According to Mr. Herrick, a new, LEED-certified elementary school would cost the region around $15 million after state reimbursement, with the total cost before reimbursement $18.8 million.
The conceptual plan is based on current enrollment calculations, allowing for an average of 20 children per class and a total enrollment of roughly 200 students, although the school's capacity could hold up to 294.
Each classroom is projected at 845 square feet, with kindergarten rooms at 1000 square feet. The building includes a 5600-square foot multi-purpose room, which Mr. Herrick referred to as a "cafetorium."
This would serve for both lunch and gym. A separate full-service kitchen is planned as well.
A media center and library is shown at 1800 square feet, with music, band and stage space at 1100 square feet.
Much discussion about this site has centered around the septic capacity on the Shepaug campus. S/L/A/M has built $2.5 million into the proposed budget for upgrading or replacing the existing septic system for the new facility.
Mr. Herrick described several innovative waste water management systems that are available and suggested if this plan were to go forward that they be considered.
The cost of septic investigation, which he recommends, would run between $15,000 and $30,000.
Since this would be a new building, Mr. Herrick said all costs would be eligible for state reimbursement at a discounted rate because of the small enrollment number.
Under that formula, 60 percent of the total 41,000 square-foot project cost would be eligible for reimbursement, or $3.7 million of the $18.8 million project.
The conceptual plan places the school on the Shepaug campus near the old baseball field in the field hockey area. The field hockey area could be turned, which would provide the additional benefit of not facing east/west, said Mr. Herrick.
Extra parking has been factored in, along with access routes. Mr. Herrick noted that due to the staggered class times in elementary, middle and high school hours, traffic should flow easily with minimal impact.
The new school would be certified at the LEED Silver level. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the nationally accepted standard for the design, construction and operation of high-performance "green" buildings.
"The advantage of a new facility," observed Mr. Herrick, "is that you are not shuffling kids around while it's being built. They can stay where they are until it's complete.
"There are two facilities that can absorb an increase in the population, plus it's not a stretch to increase the population in the new one."
The conceptual plan allows for expansion, if needed, of a new school.
Mr. Lyon, in attendance with Selectman James Brinton and former Selectman Richard Sears, had hoped to obtain input at Tuesday's meeting on the Shepaug plan from other members of the town's Building Committee, but most were at another Board of Education meeting that evening.
Only one member of the committee was able to attend, along with one Washington member of the school board. Mr. Lyon plans to consult with the Building Committee members prior to next week's public information meeting.
Following the public information meeting and depending on the input the selectmen receive there, the plan will next be presented to the Region 12 Building Committee.
Additional Public Meeting March 19 Conceptual Plan Presented for New Primary School on Shepaug Campus:
By: Ann Compton
S/L/A/M Collaborative representative Kevin Herrick presented a conceptual report for a new Washington Primary School on the Shepaug campus to a handful of people at a meeting Tuesday, March 11, in Washington.
WASHINGTON - S/L/A/M Collaborative representative Kevin Herrick presented a conceptual report for a new Washington Primary School on the Shepaug campus to a handful of people at a meeting Tuesday, March 11.
The presentation will be repeated at a public information meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, in Bryan Memorial Town Hall.
The Board of Selectmen commissioned the study after one was completed to renovate the existing Washington Primary School in Washington Depot.
The selectmen and a number of residents have questioned the wisdom and the cost of renovating a building located in the flood plain.
First Selectman Mark Lyon explained that the Shepaug site was chosen for the purpose of exploring the potential cost of a brand new school.
According to Mr. Herrick's report, the site, owned by the town, is quite feasible for a building to educate the town's elementary students, at slightly more money than renovating the existing WPS.
A preliminary estimate on the renovation of the existing WPS is between $13 million and $16 million.
According to Mr. Herrick, a new, LEED-certified elementary school would cost the region around $15 million after state reimbursement, with the total cost before reimbursement $18.8 million.
The conceptual plan is based on current enrollment calculations, allowing for an average of 20 children per class and a total enrollment of roughly 200 students, although the school's capacity could hold up to 294.
Each classroom is projected at 845 square feet, with kindergarten rooms at 1000 square feet. The building includes a 5600-square foot multi-purpose room, which Mr. Herrick referred to as a "cafetorium."
This would serve for both lunch and gym. A separate full-service kitchen is planned as well.
A media center and library is shown at 1800 square feet, with music, band and stage space at 1100 square feet.
Much discussion about this site has centered around the septic capacity on the Shepaug campus. S/L/A/M has built $2.5 million into the proposed budget for upgrading or replacing the existing septic system for the new facility.
Mr. Herrick described several innovative waste water management systems that are available and suggested if this plan were to go forward that they be considered.
The cost of septic investigation, which he recommends, would run between $15,000 and $30,000.
Since this would be a new building, Mr. Herrick said all costs would be eligible for state reimbursement at a discounted rate because of the small enrollment number.
Under that formula, 60 percent of the total 41,000 square-foot project cost would be eligible for reimbursement, or $3.7 million of the $18.8 million project.
The conceptual plan places the school on the Shepaug campus near the old baseball field in the field hockey area. The field hockey area could be turned, which would provide the additional benefit of not facing east/west, said Mr. Herrick.
Extra parking has been factored in, along with access routes. Mr. Herrick noted that due to the staggered class times in elementary, middle and high school hours, traffic should flow easily with minimal impact.
The new school would be certified at the LEED Silver level. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the nationally accepted standard for the design, construction and operation of high-performance "green" buildings.
"The advantage of a new facility," observed Mr. Herrick, "is that you are not shuffling kids around while it's being built. They can stay where they are until it's complete.
"There are two facilities that can absorb an increase in the population, plus it's not a stretch to increase the population in the new one."
The conceptual plan allows for expansion, if needed, of a new school.
Mr. Lyon, in attendance with Selectman James Brinton and former Selectman Richard Sears, had hoped to obtain input at Tuesday's meeting on the Shepaug plan from other members of the town's Building Committee, but most were at another Board of Education meeting that evening.
Only one member of the committee was able to attend, along with one Washington member of the school board. Mr. Lyon plans to consult with the Building Committee members prior to next week's public information meeting.
Following the public information meeting and depending on the input the selectmen receive there, the plan will next be presented to the Region 12 Building Committee.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Leases for Three Schools Not Final Yet
03/12/2008
Residents Share Frustrations With Lack of Region 12 Leases
By: Ann Compton
WASHINGTON - Washington's Hank Martin was joined by two members of the Board of Education at the March 6 Board of Selectmen meeting in expressing consternation at the lack of resolution of the Region 12 primary school lease issue.
The state granted Region 12 an extension last December in filing an application for a $51,000 reimbursement on repairs to Bridgewater's Burnham School, completed last year.
The extension was based on finalizing 20-year leases between Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington and the region for the use of the primary schools by the end of February. Without a lease in place, the state will not grant the reimbursement.
Bridgewater and Roxbury are currently operating on a month-to-month basis; Washington has a yearly lease.
With the February deadline past, Mr. Martin questioned why the Board of Education has not been able to finalize the leases.
"I could not let this pass without saying every taxpayer should be outraged," said Mr. Martin. "Why did this happen?"
Neither the selectmen nor Board of Education members Valerie Andersen and Anthony Bedini had an answer, although the question elicited a number of possible reasons, and lengthy discussion.
Mr. Martin, former chairman of the Zoning Commission and a veteran of Washington town board and commissions, contends that the process was inefficient and insufficient.
"The Board of Education knew this matter had to be taken care of as soon as they approved the spending [for the Burnham repairs] last spring," he stressed. "So it isn't just two months that they wasted; it's more like 10 months."
Selectman James Brinton said he sat in on the final lease agreement meeting and believed an "agreement in principle" had been reached with the board, Bridgewater and Roxbury, when the meeting ended.
"The next day, the Board of Education rejected it," he reported.
Ms. Andersen attributes the trouble to board leadership, which she called "an incredible problem."
"There has been no communication, as there was in the past with the previous chair and the superintendent. The board was as out of the process as you were," she told the selectmen.
"I asked the chair to let the board know what was going on. I thought I was involved, but I was out in the cold."
First Selectman Mark Lyon agreed that he has yet to see any written communication on the leases, although he has been told there is a proposal coming to the towns' selectmen soon.
"If I do get anything in writing it will be the first written document I have received since November from the Board of Education or the Lease Committee," he said.
Mr. Bedini explained the board's position regarding the Burnham $51,000 reimbursement.
He said that under the towns' proposed leases, Region 12 would have been contractually obligated for the next 20 years to make repairs on the school buildings, even if a consolidated school is built and the existing buildings are returned to the towns.
Each town submitted a list of repairs it said was needed to each of the primary schools to be included in the lease agreement.
"The lists got bigger and bigger and changed weekly," he reported, "until finally it appeared that if you did everything on the list you wouldn't have to do any renovation. Those lists became unacceptable and the arguments got longer.
"Finally, it was decided the loss of money for Burnham School was not as bad as committing the board to 20 years of expenses down the line."
Mr. Bedini maintained that the accusation the board has put no money into fixing the school buildings is untrue.
"If you look at the budgets going back 10 years, there's at least $225,000 each year just for repairs. It's nonsense that we didn't fix anything," he said.
Mr. Brinton countered, "The Board of Ed has not put in the proper amount for the last 30 years. We cannot let the region build another school and let it fall into disrepair the way these three buildings have."
Mr. Martin called the entire process "dysfunctional."
"The board created a committee, then complained they couldn't get enough information from the committee they created.
"If there's a proposal available now, it could have been done two weeks ago."
"I hear your pain," Ms. Andersen told Mr. Martin. "I'm very frustrated with the process. It's not the administration, which has to work through a committee and board leadership that is out there in never-never land."
"If you think for a moment many of us on the board are happy with the way things are going, we're not," said Mr. Bedini.
"We really have three small boards," he continued, "the smallest of which is the most vocal. You need leadership to make it run as one. I'm not saying the leadership doesn't need to be tuned, but we don't have many people willing to put aside their town's agenda and come together with one voice.
"Maybe we could agree the sun is coming up, but most likely we'd argue about that. It's a fight for everything."
"I would feel better if the board showed some sense of urgency about this," stressed Mr. Martin.
"There should have been more information, more lease committee meetings, a lot more input," said Ms. Andersen. "Things are hidden from this Board of Ed. We don't get to see things until it's too late."
"This is an endless conversation about an impossible situation," observed
Selectman Richard Sears.
"We could spend a lot more time on this," concluded Mr. Lyon after nearly an hour's discussion, thanking the participants for their input.
Residents Share Frustrations With Lack of Region 12 Leases
By: Ann Compton
WASHINGTON - Washington's Hank Martin was joined by two members of the Board of Education at the March 6 Board of Selectmen meeting in expressing consternation at the lack of resolution of the Region 12 primary school lease issue.
The state granted Region 12 an extension last December in filing an application for a $51,000 reimbursement on repairs to Bridgewater's Burnham School, completed last year.
The extension was based on finalizing 20-year leases between Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington and the region for the use of the primary schools by the end of February. Without a lease in place, the state will not grant the reimbursement.
Bridgewater and Roxbury are currently operating on a month-to-month basis; Washington has a yearly lease.
With the February deadline past, Mr. Martin questioned why the Board of Education has not been able to finalize the leases.
"I could not let this pass without saying every taxpayer should be outraged," said Mr. Martin. "Why did this happen?"
Neither the selectmen nor Board of Education members Valerie Andersen and Anthony Bedini had an answer, although the question elicited a number of possible reasons, and lengthy discussion.
Mr. Martin, former chairman of the Zoning Commission and a veteran of Washington town board and commissions, contends that the process was inefficient and insufficient.
"The Board of Education knew this matter had to be taken care of as soon as they approved the spending [for the Burnham repairs] last spring," he stressed. "So it isn't just two months that they wasted; it's more like 10 months."
Selectman James Brinton said he sat in on the final lease agreement meeting and believed an "agreement in principle" had been reached with the board, Bridgewater and Roxbury, when the meeting ended.
"The next day, the Board of Education rejected it," he reported.
Ms. Andersen attributes the trouble to board leadership, which she called "an incredible problem."
"There has been no communication, as there was in the past with the previous chair and the superintendent. The board was as out of the process as you were," she told the selectmen.
"I asked the chair to let the board know what was going on. I thought I was involved, but I was out in the cold."
First Selectman Mark Lyon agreed that he has yet to see any written communication on the leases, although he has been told there is a proposal coming to the towns' selectmen soon.
"If I do get anything in writing it will be the first written document I have received since November from the Board of Education or the Lease Committee," he said.
Mr. Bedini explained the board's position regarding the Burnham $51,000 reimbursement.
He said that under the towns' proposed leases, Region 12 would have been contractually obligated for the next 20 years to make repairs on the school buildings, even if a consolidated school is built and the existing buildings are returned to the towns.
Each town submitted a list of repairs it said was needed to each of the primary schools to be included in the lease agreement.
"The lists got bigger and bigger and changed weekly," he reported, "until finally it appeared that if you did everything on the list you wouldn't have to do any renovation. Those lists became unacceptable and the arguments got longer.
"Finally, it was decided the loss of money for Burnham School was not as bad as committing the board to 20 years of expenses down the line."
Mr. Bedini maintained that the accusation the board has put no money into fixing the school buildings is untrue.
"If you look at the budgets going back 10 years, there's at least $225,000 each year just for repairs. It's nonsense that we didn't fix anything," he said.
Mr. Brinton countered, "The Board of Ed has not put in the proper amount for the last 30 years. We cannot let the region build another school and let it fall into disrepair the way these three buildings have."
Mr. Martin called the entire process "dysfunctional."
"The board created a committee, then complained they couldn't get enough information from the committee they created.
"If there's a proposal available now, it could have been done two weeks ago."
"I hear your pain," Ms. Andersen told Mr. Martin. "I'm very frustrated with the process. It's not the administration, which has to work through a committee and board leadership that is out there in never-never land."
"If you think for a moment many of us on the board are happy with the way things are going, we're not," said Mr. Bedini.
"We really have three small boards," he continued, "the smallest of which is the most vocal. You need leadership to make it run as one. I'm not saying the leadership doesn't need to be tuned, but we don't have many people willing to put aside their town's agenda and come together with one voice.
"Maybe we could agree the sun is coming up, but most likely we'd argue about that. It's a fight for everything."
"I would feel better if the board showed some sense of urgency about this," stressed Mr. Martin.
"There should have been more information, more lease committee meetings, a lot more input," said Ms. Andersen. "Things are hidden from this Board of Ed. We don't get to see things until it's too late."
"This is an endless conversation about an impossible situation," observed
Selectman Richard Sears.
"We could spend a lot more time on this," concluded Mr. Lyon after nearly an hour's discussion, thanking the participants for their input.
Washington Selectmen Meeting 3/12/08
03/12/2008
Washington Board Supports Single Vote on Region 12 Issue
By: Ann Compton
WASHINGTON - The Board of Selectmen unanimously passed a resolution calling for a single binding vote referendum on the Region 12 primary school issue at its March 6 meeting.
Region 12 Board of Education member Valerie Andersen told the board a "two-step" process had been proposed and was under consideration, which she believed would further confuse an already convoluted issue.
The referendum, postponed from last year, has been further delayed by a lawsuit initiated by the Town of Bridgewater which sought to amend the original Region 12 plan so that each of the three towns would have to vote and reach a consensus on a single school vs. three schools for it to pass.
That lawsuit was resolved last week in Litchfield Superior Court when the court found that a majority-rules vote in all three towns was adequate.
Board of Education member James Hirschfield proposed the two referendum plan at a recent meeting, which would require two votes several weeks apart.
One would cover the question of a consolidated school for all three towns and the other, the question of renovation.
Ms. Andersen maintained that this plan is impractical on several levels. She stated that holding two votes in the coming months by June 30 with town budget votes going on in May would be unwieldy.
"We would have to have one referendum, close the machines, have another and somewhere in there put our budget referendum. It just doesn't make sense," she said.
The selectmen agreed, and the resolution was passed requesting that the Board of Education define a way to hold a single binding referendum.
Ms. Andersen also encouraged the selectmen to seek an opinion as part of their Washington Primary School study at the Shepaug campus whether there would be septic issues.
She suggested using a local, independent contractor for this rather than S/L/A/M, who recently completed the study for the town.
"We need to find out if the existing septic could handle an additional 200 primary school students with the existing school or more, if consolidation goes that way," she noted. "It's well worth the trouble and would ease the process."
First Selectman Mark Lyon said the S/L/A/M conceptual design includes $2.5 million to address septic issues at the Shepaug campus.
Mr. Lyon explained that S/L/A/M representatives said there are "some new and innovative ways of handling waste for a small population that wouldn't involve the septic system."
The selectmen will review the complete report shortly, said Mr. Lyon.
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