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.