With Permission
Parent Drop-Off Map
Parents and Board of Education members gathered in the Walsh Intermediate School cafeteria recently to learn the latest updates about the school’s $88.2 million construction/renovation, including new drop-off entrances and bus routes into the school. One issue yet to be fully resolved is getting enough space to line up the vehicles for pickup and drop off.
Parents also learned that from this June to August the school itself will be closed while site work is underway. Construction will be contained, separate from the day-to-day functioning of the school.
An additional outreach session will take place Tuesday, April 3, 7 to 8 p.m., at the Mary R. Tisko School gymnasium.
Sally E. Bahner Photo
Representatives included Scott Pellman from Colliers International (the owner’s representative), Chris Toussaint and Greg Plasil of Fusco Corp. (the construction manager), Michael LoSasso of Antinozzi Architects, Walsh principal Raeanne Reynolds, and Schools Superintendent Hamlet Hernandez. They are pictured here. Members of the Board of Education were among those in the audience.
With Permission
The panel explained the timeline and changes that would affect students and the school itself as construction progressed. A question and answer session followed and participants were invited to view models of the building on display. Here is Model 1.
With Permission
And here is Model 2.
Toussaint, project manager for Fusco Corp, described the day-to-day process of preparing for the transition. Safety will be a priority, he said. Fencing, gates, and signage will be installed and there will be ongoing site supervision, as well as security through a watchman service, badges for construction workers, and sign-in for visitors. Jersey barriers will separate construction traffic from school traffic. A job trailer will be on site.
Toussaint laid out the schedule for Phase 1 of the project, which runs from June 2018 to September 2019.
June 2018 to August 2018
With Permission
The school itself will be closed while site work is underway. Fencing will be installed, temporary parking lots constructed, and gas and water lines installed. An orange overlay on the diagram indicated the fenced in area.
New parent drop-off and bus routes will be constructed. Toussaint said the entrance and exit patterns received multiple reviews and that the traffic patterns were designed using the best options, allowing for queuing patterns of drop offs and buses. See top photo.
Within the school itself, there will be abatement in the auxiliary gym and industrial arts area and separation walls constructed between the functioning area of the school and work area. The nurses’ office and school-based health center and the reception area will be relocated.
Any hazardous materials resulting from demolition will undergo third party testing and abatement will be conducted. Demolition will be controlled, materials will be sorted and hauled off-site.
September 2018 to May 2019
With Permission
Included will be the demolition of the industrial arts area and the nurses’ area. Construction will begin on the new addition and the gym, auxiliary gym, and pool will be reopened. Toussaint emphasized that construction will be contained, separate from the day-to-day functioning of the school.
June 2019 to August 2019
Construction of the building will take place along with additional site work. Abatement will take place in the main gym.
September 2019 to December 2019
The classroom addition will be finished and the remaining perimeter fencing will be removed. Furniture will be place in anticipation of students and staff moving in over winter break.
January 2020
With Permission
The addition is complete and staff and students are moved in. Here’s what the new Walsh will look like.
Toussaint said the details of Phase II, which will begin in January 2020, will be discussed later. Fall 2021 is the expected completion date for the entire project.
Michael LoSasso of Antinozzi Architects discussed additional changes within the building. He said the reception check-in will be located at the new interim entrance, and a peak times, there will be a second reception check-in. Existing administration space will be shared with health services.
Public Comment
Sally E. Bahner Photo
Questions from the public concerned traffic circulation, air quality, outdoor space, security, and noise.
Given the circuitous traffic pattern, one parent asked what measures were being taken to keep students walking to school safe. She was assured that traffic guards will be maintained and that the school will be working with police to assure safe passage for pedestrians. Sidewalks will be remain in place along with the same security system.
In response to security, Hernandez said the current double door system will remain in place.
Another parent asked about air quality during construction. Toussaint replied that the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the Department of Energy and Environment will be following the project and a third party, Langan CT, Inc., will be doing air sampling.
There should be no problem with air quality outside and kids will still have recess. The athletic field, gymnasium and pool will be closed just during the summer.
The air intake system and dust control were also questioned. LoSasso said that should not be a problem since various air intake fans operate from the rooftop.
Sally E. Bahner Photo
It was asked if a noise barrier would be in place. Greg Plasil (L‑R, Plasil and Scott Pellman) of Fusco said that the wall between the existing building and the construction will be solid and construction-related noise will be limited during the school period.
The school district maintains a website dedicated to the Walsh project, which includes various documents and videos of public information sessions, at https://www.walshschoolproject.org.
###
