nothin New Haven Independent | Divided RTM Challenges $12.1M Cost of…

Divided RTM Challenges $12.1M Cost of Community-Senior Center

Marcia Chambers Photo

Architect Tom Arcari addresses town officials and the RTM.

A divided Representative Town Meeting (RTM), concerned that the community house-senior center renovation has reached a cost of $12.1 million, raised a series of questions, many not yet answered, as First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove pressed for a speedy decision in order for an RTM vote by mid-December.

But the scheduled vote for Dec. 14 is not yet written in stone. RTM members from both parties raised a number of questions on a number of topics, ranging from on-site contamination to excessive costs for a renovated building, especially as Cosgrove and the Board of Education seek an $88.2 million renovation of the Walsh Intermediate School, the most expensive project undertaken by the town. (The town’s share for the Walsh project is about $58 million. The state’s share is between $25.7 million and $28.4 million. Whether the state grants this amount given its current fiscal crisis, remains to be seen.)

File Photo

While the community house project, which moves the senior center to the community house on Church Street, is 18 months in the making, the RTM first viewed the architect’s plans via a PowerPoint presentation last Wednesday. The full presentation, held at Fire Headquarters, was billed as an informational meeting. Cosgrove said he hoped the RTM could vote on the project in two weeks. But that deadline met some resistance. The firm has previously presented their plans at the Planning & Zoning Commission and the Board of Finance.

A New or Renovated Building? 

Marcia Chambers Photo

What appeared to shock the RTM was the price. RTM member Marc Riccio (R‑6 and pictured here) told the RTM: I think we were taken aback by the costs. I was taken aback by the $12.1 million.” He asked if it wasn’t better to just knock down the community center and start again. He asked if it made sense to build a new building. We own the land.”

Tom Arcari, Jr., the lead architect, told Riccio that at the outset he asked that question, too. Does it make sense? Should we tear down the building and start again? In fairness, I am generally a proponent of building a new building. In this case, renovating made more sense. The existing structure is significant. The building is quite sound, near the town center, near a park, access is good and overall philosophically reusing a facility is more responsible. You already have energy to tear it down and additional energy to build a new one. Plus we make this combined facility energy efficient….” I think the approach makes a ton of sense. The community has been fiscally responsible.”
 
Rep. Adam Hansen (D‑4), RTM clerk, said “$88 million for the Walsh building and $12 million for this building. Well, it concerns me. … We are spending a lot of money as a town,” he said. This figure does not include proposed costs for a public works building, yet to be discussed and funding for the Blackstone Memorial Library.

Two days before the RTM meeting, the Board of Finance (BOF) approved bonding for the renovation at $12.1 million. The BOF had studied the plan and heard from the architects in the past. In October, the BOF was given final numbers for the project, which informally started out in the $8 million area. It was then that the BOF learned that some contaminants existed at the site and remediation was required. The BOF also learned of a new property to be purchased for additional parking. Click here to read story.

The RTM was given its first opportunity to question the architects and the first selectman about the plans last week. While meetings were held with other town boards, it does not appear that the RTM members were kept directly in the loop.

The Fate of the Historic Canoe Brook School

Marcia Chambers Photo

(L-R:) Chris Sullivan, Adam Hansen, Dennis Flanagan and Ray Ingraham

No vote was taken at the RTM, but a Ways and Means RTM committee meeting to discuss and act on the resolution to authorize $12.1 million for the community house, will be held this week. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 7, at Canoe Brook Senior Center at 7 p.m. On the RTM agenda is an authorization to sell the Canoe Brook Senior Center in order to help to defray the cost of the new project. But Cosgrove said at the meeting, It is not a requirement to sell Canoe Brook.”

Canoe Brook, a former public school, was built in 1898. The Canoe Brook Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 and the Canoe Brook building is part of that listing. The issue of the building’s historical significance was not raised at the RTM meeting. 

Riccio asked if the RTM was expected to vote on $12 million in two weeks?”

The full RTM meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 8 p.m. at Fire Headquarters, but Rep. Chris Sullivan (D‑6) asked that the community center funding item be postponed until the following month because of a series of yet-to-be answered questions.

Sullivan told Cosgrove and the architects that this is the first time I have seen these documents. Is the bid going to go out before our January meeting?”

Yet to be answered were questions concerning possible contamination at an adjacent residential site the town plans to buy for additional parking. Sullivan asked if that land had been tested. The architect said that was a good question and noted it had not been. .

Arcari said that the community house, built in 1963, has had no significant updates. He observed that the boiler is below flood level and that the current Canoe Brook Senior Center is not ADA compliant. It makes good financial sense to combine the facilities under one roof. It makes significant sense for the community.” Arcari told the RTM that his firm had designed more than 20 community centers.

Arcari said that by consolidating two facilities, the town reduces the overall operational costs and will see significant long-term savings.Flanking Cosgrove at the table was A. Graham Curtis, the CEO of DTC engineering, a consulting firm in Hamden, Alex Palluzzi, Jr., the director of the town’s Recreation Department and Dale Izzo, assistant Recreation Director. Dagmar Ridgway, the director of the Canoe Brook Senior Center, was not present.

Challenging the Price Tag

Peter Hentschel (D‑2), an architect, asked Arcari how he had derived his budget of roughly $200,000 to take care of the contamination at the site. I want to make sure of those costs.” Both Henschel and Sullivan and Peter Jackson (D‑3), also an architect, asked if data had been amassed regarding a rise in the flood plain, especially since this community center will also serve residents in the event of an emergency.

Arcari said he plans to make the community house building flood resistant. The lower level of the building will become waterproof and flood barriers will be provided so water cannot get into the building. Additionally boiler and electrical service will be moved from the lower level so that electrical service will be placed on the second level. None of the infrastructure can be compromised by water,” he said.

Louis DeSerio (R‑4) raised the issue of the cost of a brand new building” versus the cost of a renovated building. He thought a new building might be cheaper, but that might not be the case, Arcari said.

Hentschel, who represents Stony Creek, asked that the chair of the Building Commission, Peter Banca, be present at the next meeting. While Cosgrove said Alex Palluzzi, Jr and Dagmar Ridgway are probably the longest serving employees in the town and were extensively involved in the renovation process, it is not clear if they formally served on the building commission as advisers. There is a provision for such appointments. 

Cosgrove said both employees had great understanding and knowledge” and that it was very clear the community house has had no upgrade in last 50 years.” But Cosgrove did not address their service, if any, on the building commission.

The architects serving on the RTM also asked how Arcari derived 50 years as the life for the proposed building.
 
Toward the end of the two-hour plus meeting, Sullivan asked Arcari for the actual documentation of materials regarding the environmental issues posed by the project. He noted that he had only recently seen a Phase III report concerning the soil contamination findings. Sullivan also asked for an environmental analysis, including the groundwater flow of the property the town seeks to buy for additional parking. Where might potential contaminants wind up?” he asked.

Arcari told Sullivan that there were some hazardous materials” adding ” I need help in answering your questions.” Arcari then asked Sullivan, who works for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, to send him his questions directly and gave Sullivan his card.

Rep. Peter Black (R‑3), who chairs the Ways and Means Committee, suggested that testing be undertaken both on the house to be acquired and the adjacent lot. He, too, was concerned at the rising costs of the project and the town’s debt load. We don’t know where we are with public works building,” he observed, adding he was concerned about the mill rate heading toward 30.” And, he noted, if this project goes over 50 percent, as it did when it went from $8 million to $12 million, what happens to the other projects coming down the road?”

Frank Twohill, Jr. (R‑1), a long-serving RTM member, said he favored the project. He told the RTM that the seniors have been waiting a long, long time to have a fully functioning senior center.

###

Sign up for our morning newsletter

Don't want to miss a single Independent article? Sign up for our daily email newsletter! Click here for more info.


Post a Comment

Commenting has closed for this entry

Comments

There were no comments