HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-10-03-PBC-min.pdf TOWN OF LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS
PERMANENT BUILDING COMMITTEE
Minutes of Friday October 3 1997 Meetina in the Selectmen's Meeting
Room, Town Office Building, as approved November 25, 1997
The meeting was called to order at 7 45 a m by Chairman Bruckman with
other committee members Johnson, Kelley, Poinelli and Touart present
Also attending were HMFH representative Philip Lewis , Director of School
Buildings Operation Moynihan, Capital Expenditures Committee representa-
tives Karen Dooks and Charles Hornig, Appropriation Committee liaison
Isabel Mroczkowski as well as citizens Dawn McKenna and Ingrid Klimoff
Chairman Bruckman met with Town Manager and Selectmen Busa and McSweeney
yesterday, and the number that might be acceptable to take care of the
most urgent school building needs would be about $65 million This
would be for the high school , Diamond and Clarke only, with Harrington
the building next most needy
The principal quandary was over what to propose for Diamond Poinelli
pointed out that a part of the existing Diamond, including its library
were reimbursed by the state in the last project , and the state is still
making payments on that Would the town forfeit part of that reimburse-
ment already paid as well some yet to be paid? Both PBC member Poinelli
and the Lexington Conservation Commission have expressed strong reserva-
tions about the ability of the site to support more than one building
In any case, the state probably would not reimburse the town if the old
Diamond were to remain and put to a non-school use Moynihan reported
that there can be no reimbursement for swing space
Chairman Bruckman handed out a sketch of his recommended enlarged
expansion that could possibly mean partial demolition of the present
Diamond Kelly's motion to fall back to the already-approved layout for
Diamond received no second Poinelli suggested that the addition to
Clarke could be eliminated with a somewhat expanded addition to Diamond
and a small redistricting at the middle school level
Committee struggled to reach an agreement satisfying needs for the
public and town meetings and later town-wide votes and still be accep-
table to the Selectmen and financial committees , PBC and School Commit-
tee Any new architect 's schematic for Diamond could not be ready for
showing until Town Meeting CEC representatives pointed out that the
shifting financial parameters set by other town boards would calls for
PBC flexibility in forming a compromise solution for the middle schools (i
VOTED not to build a new Diamond, rescinding the vote of September 23
Merit was seen in reconfiguration of Diamond and Clarke, even if a
portion the project might be in Category III (i e reimbursed on a
slower schedule) Some committee members expressed strong advocacy for
the early learning center and renovation at Harrington
VOTED to go ahead with the September 10 financial figures for a Phase I
that includes the high school , Diamond, Clarke and some of Harrington if
possible, up to the total of $65 million, with allowance for flexibility
of plans of the two middle schools This would probably involve an
addition to Diamond that would be larger than the previously approved
one but smaller than that envisioned by Bruckman
Meeting adjourned at 9 45 a m Respectfully, ?� J „ Secty