HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-07-16-PBC-min.pdf TOWN OF LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS
PERMANENT BUILDING COMMITTEE
Minutes of Tuesday July 16. 2002 meeting in the Conference Room, School Administration
Building, as approved November 12, 2002.
The meeting was called to order at 7:08 p.m. by PBC Chairman Kelley with other members
Johnson, Poinelli, Sperandio and Touart present. Also attending were School Committee member
Anthony Close and School Department Director or Business and Finance Susan Bottan and
Harrington School Principal David Crump. as well as Harrington School parent Rod Crocker.
PBC staff attending were Project Manager/Owner's Representative Bill Kealy and Clerk-of-the
Works Gary Kaczmarek. Representing the Design Advisory Committee were Carl Oldenburg
and Olga Voronina. Architects Todd Lee and Carol Marsh spoke for the architects, TLCR
Associates along with Sheikh A. Rahman of their engineers SAR. Staff writer of the Lexington
Minuteman Benjamin Hartman attended the early part of the meeting.
Distributed by SAR Engineering: Letter recommending heat pump system and comparative
HVAC system design data.
Discussion of heat numn recommendation for the Harrington School. Engineer Rahman told of a
visit to the Shurtleff School in Chelsea with John Moynihan. The a heat pump system there has
been operating well for five years and is very quiet. One of the ways to make the system even
quieter is to reduce the velocity of the fan moving the air into the room. Geothermal source is
not necessary for a heat pump system, but a geothermal source has the further advantage of
energy saving. Although the variable air valve (VAV) system provides a low noise operation, a
heat pump system can also provide a low noise operation quieter by location of the pump and
configuration of the piping with elbows and branches to attenuate noise.
What are the drawbacks and disadvantages of a heat pump system, asked Sperandio. A cooling
tower would be needed if geothermal well system source is not installed There are about six
producers of heat pumps. The expected life span of the equipment is about 20-24 years. Rahman
produced a chart showing that initial installation of the heat pump system is the least expensive
of the options evaluated.
Noise criteria are needed so that the heating system can be designed. Todd Lee noted that his
firm should get an acoustic consultant on board to assist in design and criteria setting.
The PBC will need to assist in defining classroom noise criteria and how many classrooms need
to meet these criteria. The names of two acoustic consultants were suggested by committee
members, who recommended that TLCR get proposals from them. PBC member Johnson
cautioned all to watch out for unidentified costs in heating system design, and Poinelli pointed
out that the compressor/refrigerator component of a system is inherently less noisy than a fan.
PBC minutes of July 16, 2002-page 2
Moved by Poinelli and seconded by Sperandio that the PBC accept TLCR s recommendation of a
heat pump system, provided that the pumps be located so that acoustic criteria can be met.
Motion VOTED
Further evaluation of geothermal wells was urged by committee members. Rahman explained
that he already had data on aquifers. Wells of between 1200 and 1500 feet deep would be needed
to obtain (from the bottom) water in the 50 to 55 degree range. Further discussion on this will be
in two weeks (July 30).
Future planning was outlined by Lee, with the aim toward Design Development presentation on
the Tuesday after Labor Day (September 3), complete with construction cost estimates from
Daedalus. What else is needed, Kelley asked. Information technology information, Lee
responded. Poinelli added that soil borings are needed for the facility design.
Further consideration of elevation plans was illuminated by new drawings and a model of the
school incorporating some of the angle simplification that the committee had recommended two
weeks ago. The model was passed around so that all could rotate it and get an idea of what the
building might look like from all angles. The most recent drawing showed a 'more bricky"
exterior that the architects said they were not happy with. Poinelli suggested ways to widen
angles at entrances to accommodate air handling equipment. Oldenburg mentioned varieties of
masonry to lessen a monotonous factory-like box appearance. Voronina recommended
simplifying the rear side of the building she described as `still too busy' Poinelli suggested a
way to unify/tie together the exterior design. Kelley asked about the possibility of adding a
future second story on the kindergarten and early learning end areas currently planned to be one
story This concept of planning for a second story was discouraged by the architects, since it
would significantly alter the exterior appearance.
Environmental savings general guidance in planning was outlined in preparation for a full
discussion of green savings and planning to be detailed in two weeks. Rahman recommended
going for utility grants such as those through the state Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
(MTC). Asked what kind of statement Lexington would want on this issue, it was noted that
there are many environmentally sound measures that could be incorporated into the building such
materials selections and efficient lighting systems.
With the setting of general agendas for the next three meetings of July 30 (green, geothermal and
acoustic), August 6 (50 percent Design Development report and August 13 (requisitions in the
first hour) and continued design discussion, the meeting adjourned at 9:28 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, ems, 2 /�j���,� Erna S. Greene, Secretary