2015-12-07-AC-STM#1-rpt - Laserfiche WebLink

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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE - NOVEMBER 2015 STM #1 of the building. The cafeteria will be relocated, and parking /circulation will be updated. The construction project total is budgeted as $44,541,900. The Clarke project consists of a 17,400 sq.ft. brick and mortar addition and renovation of 15,900 sq.ft. of the existing 128,559 sq. ft. building. The project includes an increase in the number of general education classrooms from 30 to 35, an increase in the number of science labs from 9 to 11, improved SPED spaces, and increased art, music, drama and engineering spaces. Permanent partitions will be installed to replace the temporary partition walls that separate some of the classrooms. Parking /circulation will be updated. The Clarke construction project budget total is $21,264,100. The Hastings project is a new 30- section school of 100,100 sq.ft. estimated to cost $54,758,700 without MSBA support, and $40,749,850 with MSBA support. It would have 9 more classrooms than the current Hastings Elementary School. The six modular classrooms would require $2,465,000 for design and site preparation, plus $450,000 for acquisition (as opposed to an estimated $100,000 per year to lease all six). The acquisition costs would be funded with debt, whereas leasing costs would have to be funded within the operating budget. This outcome of this appropriation will be affected the MSBA's response to the Hastings Statement of Interest, and (in part) on the Town's acquisition of 20 Pelham Road and a determination of how best to use the property. If the MSBA accepts the Hastings proposal, it is expected that the Town would proceed with the MSBA - mandated process. This would require the Town to submit a revised appropriation re- quest for design at Hastings that conforms to MSBA standards. Many questions about 20 Pelham Road cannot be properly considered until the Town has acquired the property, but the School Department's cap- ital plan will likely be updated if the property is made available for school purposes. In view of these uncertainties, the Committee expects that there will need to be some flexibility in the al- location of the appropriated funds. We have asked Town staff to present a spending timeline that explains how and when the decision to use each portion of this request will be made. Member Concerns Some members of the Committee have questioned whether the School Committee's current recommenda- tion adequately addresses the current overcrowding and expected future growth in the elementary schools. These members recognize that replacing or renovating Hastings is necessary to remedy the deficiencies of the building, but they suggest that some alternative plans could better relieve overcrowding from a Town - wide perspective. Since the design work on Hastings is a necessary part of the capital plan, regardless of the timing and funding of the construction, these members support the current request for design funds, pending further information regarding MSBA and /or Pelham. The Committee recommends approval of this request (8 -0). Article 3: Land Purchase and Improvements - 20 Pelham Road Funds Requested Funding Source Committee Recommendation None N/A IP As of publication, the Town has not completed negotiations with the Armenian Sisters and the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston regarding the purchase of the property at 20 Pelham Road. The Committee there- fore expects that this request will be indefinitely postponed. The Town may resubmit this request at a future Town Meeting. The Committee will support a motion to indefinitely postpone this request. 5