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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-04-28-PBC-min.pdf TOWN OF LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS PERMANENT BUILDING COMMITTEE Minutes of Tuesday April 28 1998 PBC Meeting in Estabrook Hall , Cary Memorial Building, as approved May 6, 1998 The meeting was called to order at 7 05 p m by Chairman Kelley, with other committee members Cannalonga, Johnson, Pierce, Poinelli and Touart present Arriving by 7 30 p m were HMFH representatives Philip Lewis and Arthur Duffy, Director of School Building Operations Moynihan; and from the ad hoc advisory group Selectmen Busa, Fenn and McSweeney, Neal Boyle, Richard Lucas and Ed Natale, as well as Town Meeting Members Ira Bernstein, Bruce Collier, Marjorie Daggett , Dawn McKenna, Eric Michelson, Jane Paget (and Lexington member of the Minuteman Tech Board) , Dorrie Traficante and Ephraim Weiss Library Report from Pierce told that the Library trustees had ordered that all work halt until Town Counsel has analyzed the points of appeal of the Board of Appeals ' granting of all the requests for variance presented by the Library, and the Library Building Committee has been able to resolve differences with the Historic Districts Commission Pierce explained that although the Board of Appeals hearing and decision occurred in February, the rulings were not filed with the Town Clerk until late March, after which an appeal had to be made within 20 days The Library did not learn of the Douglass ' appeal until about ten days ago Then the appeal was amended by the Douglass' Architects work and state funding are presently on hold Reported that the HDC, at the April 2nd hearing, agreed to designate two HDC members to meet informally with the Libraary representatives to attempt to resolve some of the HDC's concerns, but that later Chairman Politi reported to Pierce that HDC members had decided to meet only at a regular hearing with all members present In response to a question on how HDC voting vorks , Pierce explained that there are five Commissioners who vote but that in the absence of a Commissioner an Associate votes in his/her place All Commissioners are urged to attend hearings so that they are conversant with issues when it comes to voting Poinelli recommended that history of the Douglass ' objections in Library planning meetings and the Library's responses to these complaints be compiled to show that there has been considerable attempt to mollify the Douglass and address their objections For example, the height of the proposed northeast corner tower has been reduced to a height lower than the present cooling tower He also suggested that present and proposed elevations be displayed side by side to show how little is actually being added to the building, particularly on the historic Massachusetts Avenue and Clarke Street sides Responding to the Chairman's comment that there has been no communication from the library' s architects , Pierce pointed out that everything is on "hold" at the moment and the architects have been told to stop work, but that in the meantime a full set of Design Development drawings has been delivered to the Library and is available for inspection there for review Minutes of April 14 1998 were APPROVED as amended PBC Minutes of 4/28/98, page 2 School Proiect Discussion began shortly after 7 30 , with Moynihan's report that Boston Gas Company has offered to bring gas service to the gas meters in the High School , Clarke and Diamond for free The estimated amount for this service for the high school alone is $125,000 Under this arrangement , the town would be responsible for the gas service work within the buildings Moynihan also reported that he has talked with some of the firms named by Lucas as possibly interested in performance contracting with the town With changing scope, Moynihan told the group, the project will have to begin the review process with the state all over again, with the possibility of new answers about the reimbursability of each component Before launching on consideration of specific items proposed to be cut , the issue of whether the project should be a reimbursable one was again revisited, and concluded with Kelley and Busa stating that both the PBC and the ad hoc advisory group had agreed that any project brought forth should be state-reimbursable On the subject of total project cost for the high school , Moynihan pointed out that infrastructure renovation alone would cost $15 million Poinelli added that the state will not reimburse renovation alone, but that a project must address programmatic needs for reimbursement The group ruminated briefly on flexibility of state standards and Duffy gave ball-park estimates of financial savings that might be garnered from Phase II Items 2 a 1 Elimination of athletic entry and lobby; 2 redesign the library to be one-story with flat roof and simplified footprint, 3 Reduce enlargement work on second floor classrooms in present wings ABC and DEF, that would cause eight classrooms to remain at the 450 s f size (a change requiring School Committee approval ) , 4 eliminating relocation of the school 's main entrance facing Muzzey Street and relocation of administrative and health offices, also eliminating Worthen Road access and changes to the parking lot on that side exterior and on the interior (also needing School Committee review) The group then registered its responses to each of the 59 Phase I proposed cost cuts 1 Emergency roadway behind school - split response, with general favor for minimal improvement (gravel?) where needed in order to meet code access requirement 2 Some were in favor of taking this cut (2/3 reduction in plantings) 3 Reducing number of concrete cafeteria tables favored when reported that school principal said staff could live with it 4 and 4a Install Cape Cod berms on straight runs and less trafficked areas and granite curbing where needed on curves and heavy use 5 Wait for new Town Meeting site light standards 6 Reduce new concrete steps and metal handrails by 30 percent - PBC Minutes of 4/28/98, page 3 favored so long as ADA and access standards are met 7 Delete all new benches, generally favored These can be donated 8 Delete gazebo Favored 9 Delete site work associated with inner courtyard Reducing at least half of this favored 10 Delete second commons patio - favored 11 Cut of work on Waltham-Muzzey Street parking lot work - favored 12 Favored to delete five classroom operable partitions in current ABC, DEF buildings 13 Favored roof work reduction in this item 14 Favored this roof work reduction 15 and 16 These roofs are leaking now and must be replaced (no cuts) 17 and 18 To leave in rather than replace existing steel door frames would be OK with Moynihan 19 Reduce quantity of gypsum board ceiling and soffits - OK to cut 20 Reduce acoustic ceilings in 1964 building by 25 percent - deemed OK 21 Not to replace Gymnasium wood flooring - this cut clearly opposed 22 and 23 Repair instead of replacing bleachers in gym and field house considered poor candidate for cut 24 Eliminate window replacement in existing main building favored if state will accept repair only 25 Eliminate new wall openings and windows in science building, a cut not favored 26 and 27 Cuts in motorized library blinds and replacing glass block walls in gymnasium were favored, so long as state would accept latter 28 Curtain wall replacement cuts in this item favored ($1,195, 904 worth) if state accepts for reimbursement 28a Eliminate replacement of sloped curtain wall in art classrooms - cut not favored 29 Eliminate brick veneer interior surface in new library and replace with gypsum board, a cut favored 30 Not to install sprinkler system in field house would require Fire Chief 's OK as well as a fire wall between the field house and adjoining building This cut still under question PBC Minutes of 4/28/98 , page 4 31 Not to install sprinkler in the crawl space beneath the science building is favored but still under discussion 32 Repairing rather than replacing gymnasium operable partition not favored 33 Eliminate increase in darkroom space - not favored 34 Reduce cost of canopies at new main and athletic entrances Cut OK 35 Eliminate painting of existing spaces - not favored 36 , 37 , 38 Eliminate new fire extinguishers, new entry matting and assorted benches and desks Cuts all favored 39 Reduce allowance for repair of existing stage rigging - not favored 40 Reuse of existing athletic lockers found favor but Moynihan questioned the cost saving quoted by the architects 41 Revisions in windows in new additions - a cut favored 42 Install only one new water heater instead of two in science building Cut not favored 43 Eliminate replacement of existing domestic water system piping in original main building - cut favored 44 a,b, c Not switching to gas for heating With gas company' s offer of free service from main to building, this cut can be taken, but some adjustments will have to be made because oil tank removal and associated work would have to be done in any case 45 Comment generally favored keeping air conditioning (global warming?) 46 Eliminate "summer" boiler and associated piping not favored due to fact that the small special boiler would save fuel and maintenance 47 , 47a Eliminate replacement of one or both 35-year-old boilers in science building would be inadvisable and state-unacceptable 48 through 50 Proposed cost reductions involved with air handling equipment called unacceptable 51 Change in type of corridor to less costly equipment deemed OK 52 and 53 Cooling and ventilating reductions termed unacceptable 54 Eliminate new dimming system for auditorium - a cut favored 55 Eliminate field house sound system, replacement Noting that local resident 's expertise could be tapped for improvements, cut favored 56 Eliminate replacement of existing field house lighting, cut favored PBC Minutes of 4/28/98 , page 5 57 Eliminate adding new field house lighting Cut not favored 58 no savings would be involved 59 a through g No preliminary yes-no response was registered Comments "Let ' s take another look at the total lighting cost " and "Wrap-around lighting glares There must be another way to save money without resorting to that " Estimated that favor was expressed for an about $3+ million No vote was taken, with the note that the decision is to be made by the PBC members Input from the School Committee was deemed essential , and thus it was agreed that the next and future meetings of the PBC should be on Wednesdays so that School Committee members , who meet on Tuesdays , will be able to attend Adjourned at 9 57 p m until Wednesday, May 6 Respectfully submitted, Erna S Greene