High School Building Committee (HSBC) Meeting #23 Minutes

Thursday, August 19, 2004

Wayland Town Building

School Committee Conference Room

Attendees

HSBC members: Lea Anderson, Dianne Bladon, Josh Bekenstein, Steve Breit, Brian Chase, Jim Howard, Mary Lentz, Eric Sheffels

Absent: Joe Lewin, Cindy Lombardo, Steve Tise

Ex Officio members: Gary Burton, Fred Knight

Turner team: Dick Amster, Julie Bezoetdebie, Bob Ho

HMFH team: Doug Sacra

Call to order - Chairman Lea Anderson called the 23rd meeting of the HSBC to order at 7:40 p.m.

HMFH/Turner Report

Waste Water Treatment ñ Doug Sacra presented information on requirements for a waste water treatment plant (WWTP). A WWTP is required at WHS for three reasons.

1. Total sewage produced per day (code is15 gallons X 1100 students or16,500 gallons) is greater than the minimum (10,000 gallons) which is the threshold for a WWTP. WHS currently uses 11.5 gallons per day per student. Doug thinks that with new water conservation techniques, this number could be reduced to about 7 gallons per day.

2. Under Title V, any time a ìsubstantial alterationî of a facility is made, a building permit is required, under which the Board of Health has the ability to review if sewage treatment systems require upgrading. The Board of Health has already said a WWTP will be necessary.

3. The current project is a major construction project within Zone 2 of two Wayland drinking water wells.

Doug reviewed a summary of applicable regulations and guidelines of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for the application process and permit procedures. The total timeline for design and permitting is 1 to 1.5 years presuming only standard delays and obstacles. Timeline for construction is 9 months. Dick Amster reported that temporary pumping of sewage would be necessary during construction as part of the old system is taken off line. Julie Bezoetdebie is studying the issue and projects that it would cost $200,000 per year to pump everything away daily. She is looking at other ways to shorten time of pumping. More work will be done on this issue over the next month and reported to the HSBC in September. On September 15, HMFH and Turner will attend the meeting of Wayland land use department heads. A DEP representative will attend.

Reimbursable Project ñ Doug presented an updated calculation of SBA reimbursement.

1100 students X 155 sq. ft. per student = 170,500 sq. ft. Additional allowable square feet for technology, community use, and special needs is 20% or 34,100 for a total of 204,600 sq. ft. SBA approved escalation to FY2005 is 7.3%. Estimated escalation for 2006 and 2007 is 4% each year. The escalated cost per square foot for a 2007 project is $227.47 resulting in an allowable project of $46,540,185. The minimum reimbursement of 40% results in an estimated state contribution of $18,616,074. The current Scheme 3 project budget of $55,493,557 minus the state portion results in an estimated cost to Wayland of $36,877,483. Scheme 3 total square feet is 232,459. Sq. ft. per student is 211 and average $/sq. ft. is $239.

Parking ñ Doug reviewed current parking at WHS and projections for future parking requirements. There are currently 379 parking spaces. He led the group through logical assumptions for daytime and nighttime use. Daytime spaces required are around 500. He projected spaces needed for assembly, i.e. nighttime events in auditorium and gym to be around 670 spaces assuming worst case overlap of events. Doug will work with the high school administrators to understand peak usage in an effort to reduce the total number of spaces necessary.

The HSBC made the following suggestions:

- determine requirements of zoning

- plan for creative scheduling of events to minimize parking

- look at minimizing impervious surfaces for overflow, infrequently used spaces

- a special permit is easier than a variance

- make a logical proposal: we are designing a high school, this is what the code requires us to do, these are the calculations pursuant to the code

Revisiting the Program ñ Dick Amster reported that HMFH and Turner are looking at various ways of fine-tuning the project to reduce square feet. A reduction of 5,000 sq. ft. has already been incorporated. Dick is looking for a total of 8,000 sq. ft. The next step is to meet with Charlie Ruopp and Gary Burton to see where more changes can be made. Is there opportunity in fine arts and athletics to reduce size? Comments from HSBC members were:

- do not make the academic classrooms any smaller; they are first priority and have already been reduced

- look again at benchmark data, especially in athletics

- we are charged with satisfying the program; do not hack away at it

- look for a better gym design or fewer seats in the auditorium

- understand the reimbursable project and explain the areas that are above it

- are we expanding what we have today in fine arts and athletics?

- we have spaces that are inadequate for the program; want the program to flourish

- is the space as designed addressing the program?

Minimum Cost Project ñ Dick proposed that the ìminimum cost projectî is enrollment driven, code compliant, and includes system replacements that will last at least ten years. This project will add classroom space for additional enrollment, but not expand any existing classroom sizes. It will bring all buildings up to code for both safety and handicap accessibility. It will replace systems that are likely to fail in the next ten years. The group discussed other names for this project, such as ìshort-sighted projectî and ìstop-gap projectî. It will be important to understand what additional money will have to be spent in the next 40 years if a stop-gap project is done. The HSBC felt that it is important to do this exercise because the question has been asked numerous times. It was suggested that starting with Option 1 and working backwards might be the best approach. The question of SBA reimbursement of a stop-gap project will also have to be answered since choices such as reduced classroom size have implications for reimbursement.

Budget ñ Dick reviewed revised Option 3. There is a savings for not moving the football field, additional costs for added escalation and phasing modulars, and lower cost for contingency resulting in a bottom line of $55,060,580 compared to the original Option 3 budget of $55,493,557.

Dick then addressed the request for consideration of Option 3 if the Field House were demolished and the athletic program were satisfied with new construction. 32,000 square feet of new construction would be needed in addition to the gym which is 12,000 sq. ft. The total cost of this option would be $57,853,441. The group advised Dick to spend no more energy on this scenario due to its increased cost.

Option 3 update ñ Doug showed the group other ideas for siting of buildings that takes advantage of north/south orientation for better daylighting. One concept showed two buildings for academic classrooms. It was suggested by HSBC members that we should not lose sight of the constraints that led to selection of Option 3. Efficiency of one building is one example. Doug reminded the group that the design has not yet begun. HMFH and Turner have been looking at ways of doing the construction in one phase to shorten the time and cost. A discussion about maintaining the campus elicited different points of view. Some felt that spending extra money to have multiple buildings was not supportable. Dr. Burton reminded the group of the value of the campus to students. Other comments were:

- sacrifice daylight orientation in common areas

- maximize amount of construction that does not impinge on existing buildings

- do not lose sight of how we got to Option 3

- look at a project that reduces costs

- satisfy educational program, but push back on architectural elements that raise cost

- do not change parameters that drive up costs or change assumptions that led to new building

- analyze changes

Update on financial analysis ñ Mary Lentz reviewed assumptions that she and Josh are using to develop a tax impact analysis. The following assumptions were presented:

- qualifying project is $46M

- state funding rate is 40% to 45%

- short term financing (interest only) period is 2 to 5 years

- long term financing (interest and principal payments) is 25 to 30 years

- short term interest rate is 1.5% to 3%

- long term interest rate is 4% to 5%

The HSBC has been advised to wait until town boards have had a chance to look at the assumptions and analysis that is taking place before putting tax impact numbers out. There will be progress on this in September. Until then, the HSBC will consider the assumptions.

Planning for community forum ñ Dianne Bladon reviewed the forum agenda for Thursday, Aug. 26. A tour will be offered at 6:30 p.m. followed by the forum at 7:30 p.m. in the Little Theater.

Schedule update ñ Dick reviewed the revised schedule that calls for release to begin pricing on Sept. 30 and final costs to be presented on Oct. 14. Two weeks have been added to the schedule resulting in presentation materials to be ready Nov. 18. It was suggested that a meeting be added to the schedule on Sept. 9, possibly to replace the Sept. 16 meeting, so that there is not such a long stretch between meetings.

Minutes

Upon a motion duly made (Mary Lentz) and seconded (Steve Breit) the Committee voted unanimously (7-0) to approve the minutes of HSBC meeting #22 on August 5, 2004. (Note: Josh Bekenstein left before the vote, so there were 7 HSBC members present for the vote.)

The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 p.m.

Observers: John Hilliard, Anette Lewis, Jerry Melnick, Linda Segal, Kathy Siracusa, Michael Short, Richard Turner

Comments and questions from observers:

Comment: Design facility for easy add-on in future

Comment: Do not use 10 years for roofs when looking at ìminimum projectî

Question: How do I find copy room sizes? Answer: Look for Educational Program Specification at Library or on website.

Comment: Donít take word of town department head on planning parking for 85% of the time. Talk to boards. Regarding the meeting on Sept. 15, department heads do not speak for boards.

Comment: Update utility use analysis with correct information. (Advised to talk directly to Doug.)

Comment: Do not delay putting tax impact data out. Need to get public used to numbers. Boards should push for range of costs.

The next regular meeting of the HSBC is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the School Committee Conference Room in the Town Building.

A community forum will be held on Thursday, Aug. 26 at Wayland High School ñ tour at 6:30 p.m., forum at 7:30 p.m. in the Little Theater.