HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-07-30-PBC-min.pdf TOWN OF LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS
PERMANENT BUILDING COMMITTEE
Minutes of Tuesday July 30. 2002 meeting in the Conference Room, School Administration
Building, as approved November 12, 2002.
The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by PBC Chairman Kelley with other members
Himmel, Johnson, Poinelli, Sperandio and Touart present. Also attending were School
Committee member Anthony Close and Harrington School staff member Michael Spencer, PTA pp
co-President Judy Crocker and Harrington School parents Kerry Heyda, Mary Rae and Leora
Tec. PBC staff attending were Project Manager/Owner's Representative Bill Kealy and Clerk-
of-the Works Gary Kaczmarek. Representing the Design Advisory Committee(DAC) were
Karen Bechtel, John Frey, Sarah Harkness, Carl Oldenburg and Olga Voronina. Architects Todd
Lee, Carol Marsh and Santiago Rozas spoke for the architects, TLCR Associates along with
Sheikh A. Rahman of their engineers SAR.
Distributed by TLCR Associates, Inc. `Sustainable Design - Opportunities [for the] New
Harrington Elementary School,"
Elevation models. old and new of Harrington School were displayed and discussed by the
architects. The revised model showed the one-story kindergarten and early education units at
either end of the two-story school to more closely resemble each other. Gone is the parapet
between wings, and the back footprint has been simplified. Bus drop-off and pick-up is at the
rear of the building, and arriving children will enter at the cafeteria. Children leaving by bus
would be held in the cafeteria, adjacent to the gym, with a moveable wall between the two.
Envelope surface variations were suggested by the architects' display materials including brick
and white ground-face block that could be used to mitigate a solid brick factory look. PBC and
DAC members' comments included a call for design unity/common elements, a preference for
brick pilasters (that might project about eight inches) and comment that the children themselves
and their art work will also decorate the building background. Architects promised a proposed
design next week for comment.
Need to Din down site circulation issues drew attention around the room and TLCR promised to
bring possible site plans next week. Committee members suggested several ways to reorient the
building and need for clear relationship between playground and bus drop off location.
Green school discussion emphasized need for early application for energy grants to cover
possible increased investment costs. School Committee representative Close expressed
particular interest in this, so long as the project stays within budget. A lengthy discussion ensued
on data needed to install and apply for an energy incentive grant for geothermal water source for
the heat pump system already chosen by the PBC. SAR s Rahman said that the specialized
computer modeling services of a firm like DMI of Newton would be necessary since this is a
specialty not in his firm s capability With this data it could be determined if geothermal source
would enable a reasonable payback period due to lower operating cost over time. Maintenance
PBC minutes of July 30, 2002 -page 2
of the geothermal wells that the system would be continually recirculating hack into the wells
might require a flushing to remove excess mineral content every ten years or so. NStar will pay
50 percent of the expense for the DMI analysis if the payback period is less than five years. The
cost of obtaining this data will be between $200.000 and $250,000. PBC members VOTED to
request this data, and the engineers promised it next week.
Role of the PBC in decision-making brought forth a lengthy debate. Noted that basic parameters
had not been adequately set out to guide the architects. A meeting to set forth these requirements
was scheduled for Thursday August 8. The time-lag in these decisions should not delay Design
Development progress, is was emphasized. This meeting will include at least two and possibly
three members of the PBC, along with the School Committee Chairman and representatives of
the DAC (Oldenburg) and Carol Marsh of TLCR. It will be posted as a public meeting.
Meeting adjourned at 10.02 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
estai
2a
Erna S. Greene, Secretary