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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-06-11-PBC-minTOWN OF LEXINGTON Permanent Building Committee Permanent Members Jon Himmel, Co -Chairman, Charles Favazzo, Co -Chairman, Peter Johnson, Celis Brisbin, Elizabeth Giersbach, Frederick Merrill, Ian Adamson Associate Members: Henrietta Mei, Wendy Krum PBC Minutes for the meeting held on: 6-11-26 Meeting was held hybrid via Zoom PBC Members Present: Jon Himmel, Celis Brisbin, Ian Adamson, Elizabeth Giersbach Others Present: SM MA Architects: Brian Black, Erin Prestileo, Tom Faust, Andy Oldeman Dore & Whittier: Vin Miller, Kyle Leone Turner: Kate Cassen, Daniella Dan Schooler Others: Dr. Julie Hacket, Kathleen Lenihan, Mike Cronin, Mark Barrett, Mark Sandeen, The PBC meeting was called to order at 6:02 p.m. Approve Meeting Minutes Approval of meeting minutes was postponed to the next meeting High School Project Schedule / Permitting Update: Kyle Leone presented the schedule, highlighting that the project is in the construction documents phase, which would continue through April 2027. The anticipated construction start date was July 6, 2026, for the Early Release Package (ERP) 1. Phase 1 for the building would continue into late 2029. Phase 2 would begin upon completion of Phase 1 and continue through 2030. The next milestone for the CD phase was the 60% document completion, which would be finalized in August 2026 and on which the ERP 2 package would be based. There would be another round of estimating and reconciliation. The next milestone after that would be the 90% documents, estimated to be completed in January 2027 and to serve as the basis for the ERP 3 package. The construction documents phase would conclude in the spring of 2027, and then a full construction bid would be obtained. Erin Prestileo presented a flowchart outlining the permitting schedule leading to construction. It was anticipated that the order of conditions would be received in the next two weeks. Article 97 was signed by the Governor. There were no other updates. The FEMA status was asked about. Erin Prestileo reported that the status remained unchanged and that they were working with FEMA on the plans. It was expected that the comments would be addressed in the next week, which would then commence another 90 -day review period. Jon Himmel asked about the GMP date. It was reported that it numerous ERP packages would be bid in Spring & Fall of 2026 and 2027. Lisa Giersbach asked what would be included in the order of conditions that would be presented. She also asked if planting information would be presented. Erin Prestileo reported that she would anticipate a set of standard conditions, with the specific adders from the commission specific to the project but couldn't speculate what they would be. She stated that they would be happy to present where they were for site design at an upcoming meeting Jon Himmel commented that it would be helpful to have an idea of the maintenance program. Erin Prestileo noted that it was a critical piece of the design, and they would include maintenance in the future presentation. It was asked whether the SEIR had been published on the website. Erin Prestileo stated that it was published in the environmental monitor but would check to ensure it was accessible on the project website. First Floor Height & Mechanical Update: Previously, the roof was raised by eight inches as of May 14, 2026, to fit all of the mechanical systems on the 4th floor. Turner Construction and SMMA had worked together to conclude that the additional eight inches were required. Tonight the level one plan was presented, highlighting the electrical and mechanical systems space and the areas around the kitchen. There had also been concern about the lab spaces due to the infrastructure and acoustic systems. Turner Construction and SM MA continued to coordinate on fitting the systems in the spaces thru modeling and plan review and the need to raise the structure on the first floor by 8 inches was warranted. There were additional costs for the steel and exterior materials. The additional cost for the first and fourth floors was S1,413,000. Target Value Design: The target value design (TVD) schedule was presented, noting that they were halfway through the process. Five items were presented for review. The structural change for the auditorium wall adjacent to the loading dock was integrated into the design, but a CMU support wall adjacent to the loading dock was replaced with steel columns with CMU framing backup. The change netted 5140,000. The additional eight inches on levels one and four added 1,413,000 to project costs. The design development (DD) documents included gutters and downspouts at the field house dome, but there were currently none on the field house roof. SMMA was still reviewing the plan, but the estimated savings were 557,000. It was noted that snow guards were installed on the field house. No equipment was located on the auditorium and gymnasium roofs, so the Davit cranes were removed, saving 531,000. As SM MA and the consultants worked on the lighting, the number of light poles and fixtures could be reduced, saving S 130, 000. The total project cost added was 1,055,000. It was noted that there were still 20 to 25 items to go through. Jon Himmel commented on the need to include context for the increased building height. The PBC agreed on the five changes presented. Exterior Design: Renderings of the building, dating back to early 2025, were presented. The changes since the early designs, along with the inclusion of comments from the public, committees, and the working group, were discussed. As a result of the working group, a gradient exterior design was presented, and then the DD development submission reverted to the stacking design to express the idea of bloom. A group of Lexington resident architects worked with the Team, and they urged the removal of the light-colored base and the application of the accent colors at the end stairwells. There were also vertical darker accents added around the building. The current exterior design included these comments from the Lexington resident architects. Renderings of the current design from different perspectives were presented. In terms of cost, the savings from using brick and the additional cost of steel beams needed to support it canceled each other out. It was noted that there were many horizontal pieces, and adding a metal panel would break them up somewhat to help visually connect all the entry pieces. Jon Himmel read some of the comments from the Lexington residents working group. Overall, the comments were positive, with suggestions to keep including more commonality, such as designing the bridges to be more closely aligned, reducing scale, and consistent detailing approaches. It was noted that the changes had been very successful, and that the banding rhythm was nice. It was suggested that the color of the stairwell material and the paneling might be an issue. It was noted that it depended on how it was rendered, and the brick was intended to be a warm color. There were discussions around the renderings, and the changes had been made since its conception. It was commented that the SD design had the warm brown on the bottom, and the goal was to break up the sense of height. It was asked how the size was considered. It was discussed that the vertical organization of the windows and their grouping made the visuals more palatable, which was what the architects' group had encouraged. One of the comments from the working group was that having a different color on the first floor was less modern, and the current approach was cleaner. It was asked when the final exterior design was needed. It was reported that the drawings needed to be completed in August 2026, and the structure needed to be finalized in the immediate future. It was requested that the final decision be made by June 22, 2026. It was decided to send a poll about the meeting format on hybrid versus remote only for June 15, 2026. Jon Himmel suggested a hybrid format so that people could see the samples of the building exterior materials. It was also suggested that some of the samples be left so people can come look at them during the week. ERP #1 Update: ERP -1 was outlined to include; temp electrical, site enabling work, steel piles, and geothermal wells. It was noted that the numbers were not finalized as bidding was still underway, but it was trending on budget. Danielle O'jeada, the project manager, and Dan Scholler, the project superintendent, were introduced. The logistics of construction for ERP #1 were reviewed. The majority of July 2026 would be spent setting up the site fence, which would run along the inside of the sidewalk on Worthen Road, along the inside of the fields, around the skate park, and wrap Park Drive. A six-foot asphalt walkway would be added where necessary to keep the continuous pathway. Nothing for parking lot access would change in the next three years, and the main construction access would be through Worthen Road. In August 2026, ground improvements would occur. In September 2026, the geothermal well installation would start and end in December 2026. During the summer of 2026, work will be done on the future skate park area at Clarke and Park. After the construction was complete, the old skate park would be taken down, and the throwing cage would be installed. In November 2026, the foundations for the project would begin. The piles operation ran from mid-October 2026 through February 2027, and the concrete work would start in March 2027 and end in the summer of 2027. Once the geothermal wells were complete, the main access would be set up, and the contractor parking would be set up. Steel would start in May or June of 2027, with the science and gymnasium wings worked on during the summer months to avoid interfering with students. The exterior wall would be worked on from the end of 2027 through 2028. During early 2028 through the summer of 2029, the fit -outs would be done, leading up to the turnover in June of 2029. There were some site improvements, including parking lot construction, that would be sequenced in the last year of construction. The anticipated start for geothermal wells was mid-September 2026, with two and a half to three months of vertical work, followed by two and a half to three months of horizontal work. The fence would start going up on July 6, 2026. Discussion occurred about how long the noise would last and which parts of the construction were most likely to be the most disruptive. Different phases were noisier than others, such as drilling the wells and hammering steel beams. It was suggested to create a schedule with information on how long certain items would last, so the community could be better informed about what to expect. It was discussed that the dashboard would have that information, and there would be weekly updates on the website. Public Comment Minhaj Kirmani reported that he submitted comments on the 50% DD three weeks ago to Mike, Jon Himmel, and Chuck Favazzo, providing complete details on his suggestions regarding the excessive number of piles. He stated that he had not heard any comment on that subject. He raised concerns about the building's length and had not received a response. It was reported that the issue was raised with H&A and RSC, and RSC stood firm on the three pile caps for lateral stability. The drawings in DD were not long enough to show the expansion joints, but they were incorporated. Some piles were reduced for efficiency. Minhaj Kirmani discussed the number of piles and that there was no requirement for three piles. Jon Himmel stated that he would speak to Mike and Jamie about the memo. Urgent Business Andy Oldeman discussed the number of heat pump units in the building, a question raised at a prior meeting. At schematic design (SD), the quantity was left blank and was expected to be completed through a square footage process. The quantity was requested by Kate and her team, and a high-level estimate was provided. There was some natural growth and the removal of an air handler unit, increasing the number of heat pump units. The high- level estimate at SD was lower than it should have been. The quantity was largely driven by the building's zone control. It had no impact on the roof space, since it relied entirely on equipment within the building. Motion to adjourn PBC, all approved.