HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-10-02-PBC-min.pdf TOWN OF LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS
PERMANENT BUILDING COMMITTEE
Minutes of Wednesday October 2. 2002 meeting in the Room G-15, Town Office Building, as
approved November 12, 2002.
The meeting was called to order at 7 13 p.m. by PBC Chairman Kelley with other PBC members
Johnson, Poinelli and Sperandio present. Also attending were PBC staff, Project
Manager/Owner's Representative Bill Kealy, Director of School Facilities Paul McGonagle,
School Superintendent Joanne Benton (briefly), School Committee member Tony Close, Design
Advisory Committee member Carl Oldenburg, Selectman Dawn McKenna, Harrington PTA co-
President Judy Crocker, and citizens Barry Glass, Denis Kefallinos and John Igoe. TLCR
architects were represented by Todd Lee, Carol Marsh and Elizabeth Leidy
Items distributed by TLCR included the following:
Agenda
Memo with budget summary
Memo on Fiske
New Harrington - Geothermal system 20 Questions
From John Igoe: Lexington Youth Basketball Association- 10/2/02
Full regulation sized basketball courts are needed in all elementary schools, John Igoe advocated.
He presented letters from the Town Recreation Committee and the high school Athletic Director
requesting that all future school construction include full size gymnasiums Currently there are
not enough basketball courts for the LYBA program that serves the whole town with programs
for boys and girls in fifth to ninth grades. TLCR architects informed that in order to fulfill this
request the elementary school gymnasiums would have to be expanded to 1 '/2 their presently-
planned size. It was agreed that it was too late to change the Harrington School design with a
significant increase in cost and impact to the schedule. For the Fiske School, the gymnasium
could be revised to accommodate a full size gym which could also serve as the "a..student'
meeting space. The PBC agreed to proceed with the Fiske design with the larger gymnasium.
Plavgrounds for the new Harrington are already included in the budget, Todd Lee confirmed.
The space for the new school's play structure had been mislabeled as `tot lot" Lee also was
reassured that the early education program does not need a special play ground. They will share
play space with the kindergartens.
Drainage system savings of$100,000 will be attainable due to recently determined sandy soil
conditions on the site,Lee noted. Large galleries beneath parking lots will not be necessary
Contingency budgeting adequacy was questioned by Kelley Lee explained that five percent
would be adequate at this stage of the project, since Harrington is all new construction and the
design contingency will soon be eliminated.
PBC minutes of October 2, 2002 meeting -page 2
Data from fust-in bids on an elementary school in Concord suggests a highly competitive. A
sizeable number of add/alternates would be advisable, Poinelli noted.
Design Development status was questioned by Close. The School Department is still reviewing
the DD plans. Poinelli recommended further review of the plans following this meeting.
School Department Director of Facilities McGonagle, as well as police, fire and building
departments should be involved as soon as possible. Poinelli expressed a desire to help in the
process if he is available.
Heating and cooling brief review ensued. Denis Kefallinos suggested that an investigation of
gas-fired air-conditioning might be worthwhile. He was provided a copy of the HVAC system
feasibility study previously prepared by SAR. More discussion of geothermal possibilities will
continue at a meeting in two weeks.
Fiske Elementary School planning began last April but stopped in May following Town
Meeting's vote to build only one elementary school at a time. A meeting on Fiske plans is
scheduled for next Monday Judy Crocker called for equity or parity among elementary schools
throughout town. Architects pointed out that not all schools could be equal due to site
limitations such as at the Fiske. Close expressed the opinion that each school should have a
space for a `reasonable community gathering" Poinelli noted that a full-sized gymnasium could
accommodate 850 people, should it double as an auditorium. It was suggested that if there
should be an all-elementary gathering, the Harrington would be better suited due to its larger
parking capacity
Site and architectural plans for Fiske were presented by the architects, and they met with favor
Exterior elevation considerations began with a drawing of the Harrington School, which was
considered acceptable by the Harrington PTA representatives. Selectman McKenna and others in
the room expressed desire to see something different for the Fiske School due to its highly visible
location along Adams Street. She recommended a design that would represent a more traditional
approach and incorporate aspects of some of Lexington s historic structures. Members of the
PBC advised that new construction should represent buildings more appropriate for their time. It
was noted that the floor plan has been approved by the School Department and school staff. To
assist in developing possible solutions, the Design Advisory Committee will be asked to join the
next meeting that was shifted to Tuesday October 15 to enable their coming.
Meeting adjourned at 10:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Erna S. Greene, Secretary