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Planning Board reviews high school site plan

Date: 3/22/2011

March 23, 2011

By Debbie Gardner

Assistant Editor

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Traffic flow, construction noise and potential spring flooding were concerns raised by members of the Planning Board during an informal review of the site plan for the proposed new West Springfield High School (WSHS).

Mark Sklenka, owner project manager for Strategic Building Solutions (SBA), and representatives from the architectural firm Symmes Maini & McKee Associates (SMMA) presented an overview of the site and floor plans for the school during the March 16 meeting.

SMMA Civil Engineer Jennifer Howe outlined the space constraints of the site, which is bordered by an easement for the Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECO) to the west, a wetland area at the entrance of the property and the Bagg Brook to the north, which is under wetland protection.

She explained that the new high school would be built directly behind the existing building, allowing the old school to continue operating during the construction phase of the project. When students and faculty move in to the new building, the old school would be demolished and replaced with a visitor parking area and an open space leading up to the new building.

Howe said the site plan allows for two student drop-off areas in front of the new building, one for bus traffic and another for parents, and two entrance-exits on Piper Road. She said it had not yet been determined if traffic flow on the sweeping driveway would be one or two way.

As presented, site plans did not make it clear if bus and car traffic would intersect at any point.

Planning Board Member Jose Irizarry questioned the safety of students and faculty with construction in such close proximity to the existing school. He also raised concerns about construction noise disrupting student's learning.

"There will be a clearly defined barrier between [the school and construction site]' Sklenka said. "We're not going to put any students or faculty in danger."

He added that it was a given students — and faculty — would be interested in the construction. "It's going to be exciting," he said. "I'm not going to say there won't be any disruption [or] looking out the windows."

School Superintendent Dr. Russell Johnston said most of the major construction would occur during the summer months. For noise concerns during the school year he said, "We'll be in close coordination with the project manager and will let him know when to quiet [construction] down."

Board Vice Chair Aldo Bertera said he felt an exact plan for traffic flow should be determined before construction begins on the new school.

"Cars should not be allowed to cut in front of buses and buses cut in front of cars," Bertera said. "We need to segregate them."

Board Secretary Kate Harrington asked if there was a way to design in separate entrances and exits for bus and car traffic to remove this potential problem. She suggested two horseshoe drives.

Howe said the location of the school's existing tennis courts, which are not slated for relocation at this time, and the wetlands bordering Piper Road would not allow for multiple driveways on the site.

"We intend that, before we go to construction we will have a one-way plan or a two-way plan," Howe said. "We are working very diligently with the school administration to iron this out."

Harrington also asked about potential problems with storm runoff entering the school, given the new building's proximity to the elevated Clark Field directly adjacent to it. A similar problem occurred at the current high school following this spring's heavy rains, she said.

Howe responded that "significant work is going into making sure water does not come down and enter the new building."

Irizarry also asked about the capacity of the new school and how it compares to the existing building.

Johnston said the current student population at WSHS is 1,366 and the new building will house 1,260. He said both the School Committee and the MSBA project the school population will go down in the future, though he expects an initial jump in enrollments as "students who have made other choices come back" when the new school opens.

He said the pod design of classrooms, illustrated on the floor plans presented to the board by SMMA, would give the new school the flexibility to adjust class sizes to accommodate an initial enrollment higher than the projected capacity.

The site and floor plans presented to the Planning Board by SMMA can be viewed on the West Springfield Public Schools Web site at www.wsps.org/web/upload_files/1299876901_HS-2-28-11-ppt.pdf.



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School Superintendent Dr. Russell Johnston reported that he met with members of the Massachusetts School Building Association (MSBA) on March 14 to discuss reimbursements for the high school project, which is estimated to cost $93,329,295. Johnston said the MSBA has agreed to reimburse 80 percent of certain costs for the project, which will total $86,010,363.

The total MSBA reimbursement to the town will be $68,808,291. He explained, "The MSBA will not contribute funding toward other non-reimbursable components of the total high school complex, including the maintenance building, pool, track and field, and tennis courts. Those components will be bid as 'add alternates' and will be completed if the bid prices are low enough. "

Johnston thanked Mayor Edward Gibson, State Sen. James Welch and Rep Michael Finn for their support at the meeting, calling it "invaluable"



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