SBC hosts first forums, wants town's flavor

Date: 8/24/2009

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor



LONGMEADOW - When presenting the preliminary plans for a renovated or new Longmeadow High School, School Committee Chair Christine Swanson described them as "very, very vanilla."

The School Building Committee (SBC) wants residents to add some flavor to those plans.

The SBC hosted the first of several forums designed to gather input from the town at the Community House last Tuesday at both 3 and 7 p.m. Close to 60 residents turned out for the inaugural forums.

Gathering input and answering questions is part of the Massachusetts School Building Authority's (MSBA) process in determining what happens to Longmeadow High School.

"There will be a number of forums because it's critical to have as much community input as possible," Swanson said.

Robert Barkett, of the Select Board and the SBC, noted that Longmeadow is now more than halfway through the MSBA's steps to figuring out what kind of funding would be provided from the state for the high school - the feasibility study is currently underway.

Noah Luskin, of Joslin Lesser & Associates Inc., the Owner's Project Manager (OPM) for the project, said that a preferred alternative - either a new building or a renovation will be decided by late October or early November.

Those who attend the forums and share their thoughts and opinions will influence what the final decision will look like.

"We're going to pay for this," resident Helen Murphy said at the 7 p.m. forum. "We should have a say in it."

Bari Thomas, Director of Parks and Recreation, wanted to know what the contingency plan for the high school's athletics fields would be, because either option would affect them.

Swanson said there is no plan at the moment because they don't know what will be displaced yet.

Thomas also asked if any other sites besides the ones on Grassy Gutter Road were being looked at as options.

"The site has to be ready to rock 'n' roll [when a decision is made]," Barkett said. There are several spots within the Grassy Gutter-Bliss-Williams island being considered, as well as a space on the other side of Bliss Road near Blueberry Hill School.

Arlene Miller wanted to know what the maximum number of floors for the new school could be to reduce its architectural footprint. Architect Jeanne Roberts, of the Office of Michael Rosenfeld, said it wouldn't be more than three floors tall because of ease of access and its suburban setting.

Roberts added that all site issues are important to understand, from handicap accessibility to how much sunlight enters each classroom.

"The committee is taking your input very, very seriously," Superintendent of Schools E. Jahn Hart told those at the forum. "We want to make sure the solution is the right one."

"It's slow but sure going," State Rep. Brian Ashe stated. He said he plans on attending future meetings as a resident and as a representative to see what he can do to aid the SBC.

"This impacts my future and my kids' future," Ashe said. His children are entering sixth grade and fourth grade this autumn.

Swanson told Reminder Publications she was pleased with the turnout for the first two forums.

"The questions were relevant and pertinent," she said. "They will all be considered. We don't just want people to say 'rah! rah!' and go along with this we want them to ask questions and point out when something won't work. We want them to raise issues."

The next SBC meeting is scheduled for Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. in School Committee Room at the high school; the next forum will be taking place Sept. 17.