Public Has Its Say at First Walsh Outreach Meeting

The public had its say last week regarding plans for the Walsh Intermediate School renovation, which is expected to begin during summer 2018.

Its concerns? Parking, the noise level, possible disruption to students, and the use of solar panels and energy-saving construction methods.

At around $88 million, it’s the largest project approved in the town’s history. The meeting took place at Walsh, attended by approximately 40 people, including town officials and Walsh neighbors who live on or near Damascus Road. 

First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove (seated) emphasized that this was the first of two or three planned public outreach meetings over the course of the project.

The project still must be approved by several town commissions. Because it’s located in an R4 zone, a variance is needed from the Zoning Board of Appeals because the building exceeds the 35-foot height limit by 10 feet. Approval is also needed by the Inland Wetlands Commission, Stormwater Management, the Building Department, the Fire Marshall for accessibility, and the health department. In addition, state traffic approvals are needed along with an overall review process. 

Representatives from Collier’s International, the owner’s representative; Antinozzi Architects; and Fusco, construction manager began the meeting by discussing the timeline. A Powerpoint presentation included site plans and the layout of spaces within the school.

Timeline

Phased construction will begin during summer 2018 (Phase 1A) at the end of the school year with the demolition of the northeast section of the building. Asbestos abatement must be completed before demolition takes place. It was later mentioned that the building will be asbestos free, per state requirements.

Construction for the new 120,000-square-foot addition (Phase 2) will begin in December 2019 with expected completion by November 2020 when the students will be moved to the new addition.

What About Solar Panels?

Celia Toche, a Branford resident, asked if solar panels would be used in the construction, a question also posed by local environmentalist Bill Horne at a recent Public Building Commission meeting. 

Michael LoSasso of Antinozzi Architects said solar (or photovotalic) panels would not be used due to the cost, but that the building had a LEED Silver designation, which incorporates many energy-saving features.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is based on the number of points achieved, a project then receives one of four LEED rating levels: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The Walsh project is ​“Silver” rated, requiring a total of 50 to 59 points based on sustainable site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and ​“extra credit.” 

However, Horne (pictured) pointed out in his comment on a recent Eagle education story that the reason the building would be sufficiently energy efficient to earn LEED Silver certification is BECAUSE THIS IS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR STATE FUNDING(!) but that renewable energy systems would not be included unless grants were made available to cover the costs.”

Horne further cited the long-term cost benefits of solar power; those cost savings could go toward lowering the operating costs over the life of the building and save taxpayers money. The money saved could also be applied to the education program. In addition, solar energy could generate some electrical needs in the event of a power outage.

“It’s a shame that Superintendent Hernandez and the people planning and overseeing the proposed renovation of the Walsh School don’t seem to care about this kind of long-term sustainability,” he said.

Neighbors Express Parking Concerns

Parking, especially during public events, has been a problem. There are currently 230 parking spaces in the Walsh lots and that number will be increased by 100 to 330, including a grass surface lot to handle overflow. That ​“mud lot” was questioned by John Herget, who lamented that parking was difficult. 

Greg Plasil of Fusco explained that stormwater regulations require impervious surfaces to be minimized to avoid runoff onto neighboring properties.

Leslie Schwanfelder said that the trees, serving as a screen along the berm adjacent her property, were dead. She was assured that they would be replaced.

When Kevin Healy of Patrick Lane asked about parking during construction, Blasil said that temporary parking would be established ​“as best we can.”

Matt Moran asked how students’ needs would be met during Phase 2 construction.

Schools Superintendent Hamlet Hernandez said, ​“There will be a level of disruption.” He added, ​“We’ve been talking and we will have a solution… We will not be able to replicate PE and music classes… we may relocate some events.”

Peter Baldino asked about construction hours and noise levels. Plasil said it would take place during regular hours, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. He added that a lot of construction noise is associated with rock removal, which is not an issue with Walsh, so given that it’s a structural steel building, the noise should be minimal.

Hernandez emphasized that the building is one the students will use ​“for the next four or five decades” and that it’s being built with flexibility in mind. He noted that projected enrollment is expected to be up and there will be ​“more mobility within the district.” Walsh enrollment is now 862. The formula for state reimbursement, which is based on the school’s square footage and number of students enrolled, is 944 for Walsh. Enrollment has been declining for years; Hernandez did not say what his predictions were based on.

That number, 944, came up during a discussion about the capacity of the auditorium. Because the existing auditorium is being renovated and not being built new, its reimbursement, and hence the capacity, is 50 percent, 472 students (the equivalent of two grades). The lack of a full-capacity auditorium was mentioned by Board of Education member John Prins and Celia Toche during the meeting.

State Budget Impact

Prins raised the impact of state funding and hoped the commission could be ​“engaged to avoid additional value engineering,” that is, cost cutting efforts.

Cosgrove said they ​“would have to assess the impact on the town depending on the legislative session…. We’ll have a better idea after the governor’s budget [is presented].” 

Cosgrove said the state reimbursement grant commitment should be set by June.
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