Thursday, November 18, 2004
Wayland High School
Commons Annex
Attendees
HSBC members: Lea Anderson, Josh Bekenstein, Dianne Bladon, Steve Breit, Brian Chase, Jim Howard, Joe Lewin, Cindy Lombardo, Eric Sheffels, Steve Tise
Absent: Mary Lentz
Ex Officio members: Gary Burton, Jane Ezbicki, Fred Knight, Charlie Ruopp
Turner team: Dick Amster, Bob Ho
HMFH team: Doug Sacra
Call to order - Chairman Lea Anderson called the 30th meeting of the HSBC to order at 7:45 p.m.
Response to public comment- Neighbors from the Charena/Cameron/Kelsey Roads area expressed concern about three elements of the latest conceptual design:
- Waste water treatment plant (WWTP) location near property line
- Emergency access road at the end of Cameron Rd.
- Field location
These issues were discussed at length .
WWTP - Doug Sacra reminded the group that less than 5% of the design work has been done on this project. There is still a lot of time to refine the design. At this stage there is much flexibility. He said that when the neighbors came to the public forum in July and expressed dissatisfaction with an option that moved the football field closer to their homes, the HSBC responded by making significant changes to the design - making it a two-phased project, adding more than a year and $2 million in project cost.
Doug explained that the site is within aquifer protection, watershed protection, and floodplain protection areas, as well as a wellhead protection area of the Wayland public water supply. A waste water treatment plant is required; there is no choice about that. He explained the reasons for locating it away from sensitive areas.
Eric Sheffels stated that the HSBC wants to earn the trust of the community. In hindsight, the location of the WWTP should have raised a red flag. This committee wants to be responsive, as was demonstrated in the change regarding the football field.
Dick Amster stated that there is no intention on the part of the HSBC, HMFH, or Turner to break trust with the neighbors. While the leaching field must be far away from the water supply, the tank could be located in another area. He said that the WWTP is a closed system that is supposed to produce Òdrinking qualityÓ water. Dick suggested moving the WWTP on the site plan.
Emergency access - Dick and Doug next explained that the police and fire chiefs both expressed the need for a controlled access road in extreme emergencies and in the very rare case that the main entrance on Rte. 126 is blocked. There would be a locked gate operable only by fire and police. It is a requirement on every school project Turner has worked on. Doug explained that the design team dropped the plan for a second general egress because the right of way from the neighborhood in question was not an appropriate place for it, there is not enough frontage on Rte. 126, and the south side of the site is in a protected zone. Dick said that in the next phase, we will conduct a traffic study, meet with public safety, DEP and neighbors. We will do our best to relate the concerns expressed tonight. It was the consensus of the HSBC that Doug edit the drawings to show no access road on this early plan.
Playing field Ð Doug explained that the field in question is a piece of grass that students will use during lunch periods on nice days. It is too small to be a regulation playing field. It will not be lit. There will be no bleachers. It is an area that students will enjoy as an extension of the commons.
HMFH/Turner Report- Doug distributed the latest edition of the Preliminary Design Report. The HSBC instructed Doug to edit the report by changing the location of the WWTP, showing no access road on the site plans, and removing the wood chip gasification example. Doug will accept feedback from the HSBC until Monday, Nov. 22 at noon. He will deliver 35 copies of the completed report to Lea on Wednesday, Nov. 24. Lea and Cindy Lombardo will distribute reports to the HSBC, School Committee, Board of Selectmen, and Finance Committee members before the weekend so they can review it prior to the Nov. 29 meeting. Doug will send Fred Knight PDF files for posting on the web site.
In response to a question from Jane Ezbicki, Doug assured the group that this report is not the final design. There will be many opportunities for input on design of all areas from staff and the community in the next phase.
Lea pointed out that Mary has updated the tax effect analysis so that the numbers tie to DougÕs report. Specifically, Mary will use an escalation assumption of 4% in 2005 as was used in the budget, instead of 3%, in calculating an SBA qualified project. This change in the tax effect is very small, only $2 less per median house per year.
Doug was complimented on the report. It is an accurate and well-written reflection of the work that has been done over the past ten months.
Communications Plan update Ð Dianne Bladon reviewed the three elements that are in the works - display boards. single page fact sheet, and brochure. Some committee members felt that the renderings were too fancy and that floor plans are more appropriate at this stage. Others felt that having some conceptual look might help. Because the design will be done by HMFH through the next phase, if approved, it is likely that the look will be similar to what is shown. The group agreed that labeling renderings Òconceptual artistÕs renderingÓ would be a good idea.
Other suggestions were:
Display boards
- Add January vote to schedule
- Make the stop gap dollar comparisons clear in the text
- Add a legend to the site plan explaining what the dotted lines mean
- Give range of expected cost to the town after reimbursement
Fact sheet
- Flag occupancy milestones on bar chart
- Change Òfacility ageÓ to Òfacility conditionÓ
- Reverse order of Òchanging educational standardsÓ and Òenrollment growthÓ
- Change quarters to months or seasons on bar chart schedule
Brochure
- Label field house as ÒexistingÓ on pie chart or take it out
- Is pie chart useful?
- Highlight Wayland on benchmark charts
- Put an asterisk on sq. ft./student and explain field house effect
- Refer to stop gap study and expected range of cost to town whenever whole budget is presented
- Be clear that design funds are included in whole project budget
- Add occupancy dates to bar chart
- Hand out brochure at forums
Dianne explained that state law prohibits public funds being spent to copy and distribute materials that advocate for a ballot question. Gary Burton said that the annual school budget booklet is distributed each year, but cannot mention the ballot issue when there is a Proposition 2 1/2 override. Dianne said that there were two alternatives. One would be to create the brochure, but leave it up to advocacy groups to copy and distribute it. The other option is to remove all reference to the Jan. 25 ballot and send it out from the HSBC. There was strong consensus that the brochure presents a factual summary of the work and conclusions of the HSBC and should come out officially from this group. Dianne said that she would get the edited copy to Doug by Wed. Nov. 24. Her goal is to have it ready to go out in the mail during the week of Dec. 6.
Dianne reported that sandwich boards announcing forum dates would be placed around town and at the five schools. The big billboard signs in town have been reserved for the week of Dec. 6 for the same purpose. Letters are going out to community leaders announcing the forums and offering special smaller presentations. Articles will be written for the Town Crier. Additional fact sheets will be developed as needed based on feedback at the various meetings and first forum.
Preparation for meeting with WSC, BoS, and Fincom Ð Lea reported that the HSBC, HMFH, and Turner will present the Preliminary Design Report at a meeting on Monday Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hearing Room at the Wayland Town Building. The presentation will be short, probably no more than 30 minutes so that there is an equal amount of time for questions and comments. The three boards are well aware of the existing conditions, educational programming, three options, and option selection. These will not be reviewed in detail. Topics that have not been presented at previous meetings with the boards will be addressed, specifically, details of the next phase, $4,232,000 design budget, conceptual design of the selected option, project budget, stop-gap study, and SBA expected reimbursement. The members of all three boards will have received copies of the report several days before the meeting. Lea will work with Dick, George, and Doug to organize the presentation. It is expected that all four will participate. HSBC members are encouraged to attend.
Final Report of the HSBC Ð Lea reported that much of the final report of the HSBC is written in the Phase I summary on the web site. She will write a cover letter to the WSC and review the Phase I summary to make sure it is consistent with the final version of the design report. The HSBC will receive a draft for review before it is sent to the WSC.
Upon a motion duly made (Josh Bekenstein) and seconded (Jim Howard) the Committee voted unanimously (10-0) to approve the minutes of HSBC meeting #29 held on November 10, 2004.
Eric kicked off a discussion by noting the Òhuge resentmentÓ exhibited tonight by the neighbors and asking how the HSBC can be more responsive. Committee members commented as follows:
- Keep an ear out for issues; there is a perception that we are insensitive.
- Encourage active community outreach.
- This group has tried to be open and encourage community input.
- We were responsive to the tune of $2M when the neighbors brought up the football field issue; given that history, we are surprised that the neighbors didnÕt come talk to us in a calmer manner; come each time as things develop.
- A neighborhood spokesman attending meetings might help; the tone was very strong tonight.
- We should have known, but we didnÕt.
- This committee is very responsive and sensitive.
- The tone of the comments and interrupting were inappropriate. Why canÕt we have civil discourse in Wayland?
Last words Ð Thanks were expressed to the HSBC members, ex officio members, HMFH and Turner for the effort over the past ten months.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:45 p.m.
Observers: Michael Bratt, Fran DiSavino, Geraldine DiSavino, Sam DiSavino, Kay DÕOrlando, Rachel Francis, Barry Gilvan, Lorraine Greiff, Paul Greiff, Ian Hecker, Rose Marie Konowski, Jerry Melnick, Dennis OÕDriscoll, Heather Pineault, Chris Reynolds, Fran Rosenbaum, Rose Rosenzweig Jamie Rossi, Linda Segal, Michael Short, Kathy Seracusa, Gene Switzer, Richard Turner
Comments and questions from observers:
Before the meeting: (The meeting minutes reflect the responses to most of these comments.)
- Neighbors from the Charena Farm area are concerned about their property values if the plan goes forward to put the waste water treatment plant near their property line, build an access road at the end of Cameron Rd., and build a practice field which will be a nuisance with noise and light. We feel the HSBC did an end run after the football field issue was resolved.
- The web site did not have tonightÕs agenda. (The agenda went out to the HSBC listserv and library.)
- Why would you put a WWTP there? You want the support of the neighbors, not a lawsuit.
- We have lived here 27 years. Our two children excelled in the Wayland schools. The town has needed a new high school for a long time. We always support overrides and budgets, but we will not support this bad proposal for placement of the WWTP.
- Here are documents from the last WWTP plant and a 2001 letter stating a problem with the sewage treatment at Greenways. It is referred to as a Òstinky boxÓ by the neighborhood children. The odor lasted two years until the Board of Health verified the odor and remediated the situation. We do not intend to let this happen in our neighborhood.
- This is a second generation neighborhood with 35 houses. There are grandparents, parents, kids. We are worried about emergency vehicles speeding down our road.
- Particles from the WWTP will go into the lungs of students. The media is very interested in this.
- What happens if construction vehicles come down our street? (Dick responded that the job will be managed properly and that it shouldnÕt happen.)
After the meeting:
- Thanks to the committee for an incredible job. (addressing Eric Sheffels) As the Finance Committee representative, you should be concerned that people will not be able to afford to stay in town if we have to carry the whole amount. (Eric responded that he was appointed by the Fincom, but it was made clear that he is not a representative. The HSBCÕs job was to define the project that meets the needs of the program. The voters will have to put the cost into context.)
- The HSBC is doing a good job.
There is no regular meeting of the HSBC scheduled. On Monday, November 29 at 7:30 p.m., the design report will be presented to the Wayland School Committee, Board of Selectmen, and Finance Committee in the Hearing Room at the Wayland Town Building.