HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-08-08-PBC-min.pdf TOWN OF LEXINGTON MASSACHUSETTS
PERMANENT BUILDING COMMITTEE
Notes from Thursday August 8. 2007 meeting in the Conference Room, School Administration
Building, as accepted November 12, 2002.
The meeting was begun by School Committee member Tony Close at 7:07 with PBC members
Himmel, Poinelli and Sperandio present. Also attending were Harrington School Principal David
Crumb and PTA co-president Judy Crocker as well as other Harrington School parents Michelle
Abramson, Peter Burzick and Barry Glass. Representing the Harrington Extended Day Program
(BED) were Director Rose Collins and Harrington Parent/HED board member Robert Foley
School Department was represented by Susan Bottan Director or Administration and Finance.
Representing the Design Advisory Committee(DAC) was Carl Oldenburg. Carol Marsh spoke
for the architects, TLCR Associates along with landscape architect Nelson of Hammer Design.
Purnose of the meeting was stated by Close as he opened the meeting: To discuss items that may
not nave been discussed at previous meetings and to determine basic requirements to guide the
planning for the new Harrington Elementary School.
Distributed by TT CR Associates. Inc.. Log dated 8/7/02 listing their participation in 2001 and
2002 meetings regarding planning for the New Harrington and Fiske elementary schools
including presentations before and during 2002 Town Meeting and subsequent meetings to date.
Distributed by HED renresentatives: "Space Concerns for Harrington Extended Day'
Traffic circulation issues discussed: Children should not cross vehicular traffic. Hammer noted
that there is very little "non-allocated" space on site; therefore its dimensions are quite limited.
He showed a site plan of March 02 and a later one closer to present thinking. Although there are
presently three to four buses arriving daily, there could be four to five in the future. Current
occupancy of buses is about 40 percent, according to Crumb. He requested separation of buses
and private cars dropping off or picking up children. Buses usually arrive separately in the
morning but all stack up to leave about the same time in the afternoon, especially on Thursdays.
All arriving children are to walk to the playground at the back of the school where they are
supervised until 8.30 a.m. when they may enter the school.
Entry drives to/from Manle and Lowell Streets are both to be three-lanes for greater flexibility
with one lane in and two out, although left-turning onto Lowell St, is problematic. One-way
traffic from Lowell St. to Maple is to be encouraged. Entry roads will be serving both new and
old Harrington buildings for the foreseeable future.
A request for dedicated narking for recreation was questioned by Poinelli. Hammer pointed out
that 200 parking spaces, more than double the present number are planned when the new school
is added to the site. Servicing the school is another issue that must be planned for. Deliveries
cannot be fully controlled and provision has to be made for trash and recycling. Crumb requested
that no dumpster be placed in the vicinity of the kindergarten wing. Poinelli suggested that
dumpster and recycling be placed in an enclosure separated from the building by a driveway
Notes from PBC/School working committee meeting 8/8/02-page - 2
The Committee requested that Hammer explore eliminating the parking behind the school.
Relationship of the two schools was discussed in terms of the swing school. Swing school
children would be coming from another school district and therefore will arrive by bus and parent
drop off/pick up only
Need for fire lanes around the school was identified. Some suggested that the lawn areas around
the school could be made to support fire trucks, but Hammer noted that on this site it would be
very expensive to solidify the terrain sufficiently In addition provision should be made for
emergency vehicles such as ambulances to have access to the site s playing fields.
Eauinned playground installed by Harrington PTA is currently in the middle of an area the
recreation department would eventually like to make into soccer fields. It was noted that the old
Harrington will need the playground and the new school will also require a similar playground.
The architects were directed ti add a playground structure at the new school. The presence of
dedicated benches around the present Harrington field was noted, and ways to move the plaques
or other such special features should be found, Hammer noted.
School Committee representative Close concluded this section of the meeting with a summary of
the site needs discussed in the first part of the meeting. (His summary and meeting notes are
attached.)
Interior Plan Reauirements were first cited by the Harrington Extended Day program
representatives, who passed around a 3-page statement on the difficulties the program is now
experiencing in the present school. Generally the program that now serves 104 Harrington
children and uses spaces such as cafeteria, gym and kindergarten that are shared with the
elementary school. They would like to have their own office to accommodate a staff of six and a
storage area convenient to their program rather than scattered throughout the school. The entire
HED staff meets in one room for one hour weekly TLCR will review the ramifications of
HED's requests and report back to the committee.
Other interior issues include a need for sufficient adult toilets (two for each sex or unisex on each
floor; custodial closets (architects will find spots for them, they assured); Special Education,
particularly an Occupational Therapist who works exclusively in the Harrington School. The
Early Education pod will serve the entire town with a separate program. It was also noted that
flexible work space is needed for six staff in the administrative pod.
Meeting ended at 9.15 p.m. C�
Respectfully submitted, m Erna S. Greene, Secretary