We are moving forward in preparation for our meeting with the MSBA on February 28th. Please see below for the most recent activity on the project.
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~The Wellesley SBC
Building the Team
We continue to develop two approaches to the High School project: an all-new school building and a combination of major renovation/addition. However, we have yet to identify an ideal plan for either approach. Many think we are close while others think there must be better solutions. It is important that we get this right.
To this end, our architects, (Symmes, Maini & McKee Associates) have added Schwartz/Silver Architects (S/S) to the design team to help refine the options. We are confident that this addition will help us develop the optimal solutions to enable productive public dialog and decision.
Schwartz/Silver's familiarity and experience with civic building projects, as well as their keen sense of design, make them a natural complement to our team. They have worked in Wellesley previously, on the design of the Wellesley Fire Department Headquarters completed in 1998.
With this architectural team, we will strive to find approaches and solutions that balance the complexity of multiple competing priorities: site, costs, enrollment and constituent interests. We are confident that this is the best way to move the project forward, contingent on MSBA agreement, and reach a decision on the approach by early summer.
On January 31st, SBC and Permanent Building Committee (PBC) met the expanded team for the first time and considered further conceptual options. We directed them to focus on the following refinements: 1) to lessen the project duration and phasing of the renovation/addition options, and 2) to explore a more compact design in a two-phase all new construction option. A one-phase new building option is still under review.
The SBC and PBC will next meet with the architectural team on February 14th at 8:00 am. As always, meetings are open to the public.
Compiling the work to date
The SBC has been working with the architects and the School Administration to compile the information requested by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) in the Feasibility Study Stage (p19).
Maximizing Reimbursement
A critical element of cost evaluation is the potential for reimbursement from the Commonwealth. The MSBA is the managing authority on school building projects and on the level of reimbursement for which a project can qualify.
We strive to meet the requirements necessary to achieve the maximum reimbursement level so as to deliver the project which delivers the most value to the Town of Wellesley and to the Commonwealth.
The MSBA has detailed the Grant Percentage Formula in the regulations:
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The base rate of 31%, applied to specific types of costs not necessarily the entire project cost; |
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Ability to pay factors; |
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Incentive factors, which include the following incremental rates: - up to +3% for Innovative Community Use - up to +2% for Energy Efficiency - up to +8% for
Maintenance Rating, based on the maintenance record of other school buildings - additional cash matches for the creation of a School Facility Maintenance Trust and for private fundraising. |
We will be working closely with the MSBA to develop a final project design and process that best balances the value of reimbursement for the project and the overall objectives of the town.
For further information and specifics on the MSBA Grant Percentage Formula, please refer to the MSBA regulations, section 2-18.
Moving Forward
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend one of the following:
"Moving Forward" Meetings: In an effort to provide an opportunity for community education and input, we will be scheduling "Moving Forward" meetings in March. These meetings will be an opportunity for the residents of Wellesley to see and hear the most current information on the project options and to provide input on decisions at hand. We encourage you to attend one of the scheduled sessions:
Wed, Mar 12 at 7:30 pm Upper Town Hall, for constituent groups
Sun, Mar 16 at 3:00 pm Wellesley Police Station, Community Room
Wed, Mar 19 at 7:30 pm Wellesley High School Library
Tue, Mar 25 at 9:30 am Wellesley Free Library, Wakelin Room
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Contact Us
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Reference Articles
Recently added:
WHS: a 50-year Solution, Physically and Functionally, by Tom Goemaat, Member of SBC. While the physical building must be built to last 50 years, it must also be functional for as long. This article provides a summary of why past proposals have failed to meet both objectives and why there really is no "low cost" option.
Reality Check on the WHS Building, by Steve Gagosian, Member of the SBC and Permanent Building Committee. A cursory look at the condition of the WHS physical plant and state of the systems and structures.
Building for the future, by Tom Goematt, Member of the SBC. A preliminary cost evaluation of the High School options, including the critical factors and variables which impact costs.
Learning from Others, by Cynthia Westerman, Member of the SBC. A summary of the site visits to local high schools which have recently undergone renovation and/or new construction.
For Performance or Sport: The Space Matters, by Suzanne Littlefield, School Committee and SBC Member. A summary of the School Committee decisions regarding design of the Auditorium and Gymnasium spaces to enable the WPS Educational Program.
Enabling Core Values, by the SBC. The key principles (in order of priority) to serve as the foundation for decision-making in the High School Project.
The WHS Project and You, by Katherine L. Babson, Jr., Chair of the SBC. The impact of the High School Project on each and every resident and the commitment to two-way communication.
How Public Education has evolved in Wellesley, by Bella Wong, Superintendent of the Wellesley Public Schools. How the many changes in teaching methods, state and federal mandates to education, and the importance of the extracurricular programs impact the current Educational Program.
WHS Project: The Pieces of the Puzzle, by Bella Wong, Superintendent of the Wellesley Public Schools. A summary of the physical space needed to enable the WPS Educational Program. The resulting "Architectural Educational Program" details what is included and where it is located and as such, becomes the basis for the building design.
WHS Project: The Importance of Site, by Marlene Allen, Member of the School Committee and Chair of the Interboard Land Use Working Group. A summary of the study conducted by the Land Use Working Group to assess the constraints and opportunities afforded by the land parcels adjacent to the current High School site.
SBC Members
Katherine L. Babson, Jr. Selectmen Representative SBC Chairman
Steve Baker Citizen-Architect
Tom Goemaat Citizen-Contractor
Steve Gagosian PBC Representative
Rusty Kellogg Advisory Representative
Andrew Keough High School Principal
Hans Larsen Executive Director
Suzy Littlefield School Committee Representative
Kathy Mullaney PBC Projects Administrator
Cynthia Westerman Citizen-Project Manager
Bella Wong Superintendent of Schools |
