Diana Stricker Photo
After discussing costs and a traffic study, the Board of Selectmen (BOS) gave unanimous approval last night for an architectural firm to proceed with the design of the proposed Community House/Senior Center.
Third Selectman Jack Ahern (pictured at right) asked several questions about project costs and the scope of the design and engineering work. He pressed for a traffic study.
First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove (pictured at left) said the Board of Finance (BOF) and the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) already approved $500,000 for the design phases “to get this process moving forward.” Cosgrove said about $100,000 was spent on Phase 1 conceptual designs, and that the current request was for $225,000 for additional design and engineering services.
“I would like to see the traffic study included,” said Ahern, the sole Democrat on the three-member board.
Town Engineer Janice Plaziak said there have been discussions about traffic. “The need for a traffic study came to light as a result of some of the public meetings we had with the community,” Plaziak said.
Traffic concerns in that area of town were also discussed at recent Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission hearings regarding the proposed Atlantic Wharf complex, which is near the Community House. “It was clearly stated by the Planning and Zoning Commission that they wanted a traffic study” for the Community House project, Plaziak told the selectmen. She estimated that it would cost an additional $15,000 to include the study.
The Atlantic Wharf proposal, which is about half-a block from the Community House, includes 10 buildings—including six that will be residential and commercial; and four that will be only residential. Wilford Avenue is a one-way residential street leading from Montowese Street to Church Street, exiting almost directly across from the Community House’s Church Street entrance. It is also near the John B. Sliney Elementary School.
Diana Stricker Photo
Ahern made a motion to include the estimated cost of the traffic study, raising the requested allocation to a total of $240,000. That motion was unanimously approved. The BOS meeting took place at Fire Headquarters.
During the Atlantic Wharf public hearing at P&Z earlier this month, residents of Wilford Avenue expressed concerns about the increase in traffic and parking issues in regard to the Atlantic Wharf development and the town’s Community House-Senior Center expansion. “It’s going to be like a mini-city,” said David Minicozzi, a Wilford Avenue resident. He asked for more discussion about traffic patterns.
Quisenberry Will Continue
Plaziak and Cosgrove both explained that the Public Building Commission recommended Quisenberry Arcari Architects LLC of Farmington last summer to do the concept designs in Phase 1 of the community house redesign. The commission selected the firm after reviewing 14 proposals and interviewing six firms. The BOS unanimously approved hiring the Quisenberry firm in July. Click here to read that story.
This is not the first time that the Quisenberry Arcari firm did concept designs for a proposed senior center in Branford. Anthony “Unk” DaRos, who was first selectman at the time, commissioned the firm in 2010 to do conceptual sketches of renovations for a senior center at 175 N. Main St. That builiding was part of a proposed three-way building swap that never materialized. Click here to see those sketches.
Plaziak explained that last night’s request was not for the entire Phase 2, which includes five individual phases and would cost about $625,000. She asked to waive bidding and award the work to the Quisenberry Arcari firm for the first two phases of Phase 2.
Plaziak said the first two portions of Phase 2 include completing the designs and engineering work, estimating construction costs, and seeking approvals from P&Z, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and other entities. After that, additional money would have to be approved to finish Phase 2, which would result in a total budget to present to the BOF and the RTM.
“So tonight it’s just to keep the project moving forward to a point of design development and municipal approvals and cost estimates,” Plaziak said.
Ahern asked if the town has estimated the total budgetary cost of the project, as he heard at previous meetings.
A figure of $8 million for the Community House project was given when a variety of project costs were discussed by two RTM committees in explaining the Walsh Intermediate School project and other town projects on the horizon. The RTM approved $88.2 million in bonding for the Walsh renovations and expansions. Click here to read about that.
Cosgrove said the $8 million for the Community House was just an estimated figure “that was not from Quisenberry.” He said more information is needed before they get a solid number.
Stan Konesky Jr., a member of the Democratic Town Committee who attended the BOS meeting, asked questions about the cost of the design phases and the total cost of the building.
Diana Stricker Photo
Plaziak, pictured at left listening to Konesky, said the total cost estimates for the project will be known in a couple months.
Konesky asked: “Technically we could do all this work and pay all this money and then have the Board of Finance or the RTM say no, it’s too high or it’s too expensive. Is that a possibility?”
“Yeah, that’s happened before,” Plaziak said.
Diana Stricker Photo
“That was my concern,” Konesky said.
Ahern asked if the Public Building Commission had reviewed the current request for Phase 2. Cosgrove said the commission looked at initial proposals last summer. Ahern said he was concerned because the commission doesn’t include two temporary members for this project. The ordinance allows temporary members to be appointed for specific projects, and to have voting rights.
“We’re going down the road with the senior center now, and don’t have anybody on the commission from the senior center or the rec center,” Ahern said.
Besides the senior center/community house appointees, the commission still awaits two school appointees for the Walsh Intermediate School project.
Cosgrove said personnel from the recreation department and senior center have been involved in the conceptual design phase. “And we will be appointing two members,” Cosgrove said.
Following the discussion, the BOS unanimously approved a motion for the Quisenberry Arcari firm to proceed with the design and engineering work for the first two phases of Phase 2 and the traffic study.
The Quisenberry Arcari firm, which was selected to move the project forward, made several presentations of their conceptual plans. Click here to read about one of the presentations.
The proposal calls for renovating and expanding the two-story Community House on Church Street which currently houses the Parks and Recreation Department and programs. The rec programs would be on the first floor, with direct access through a new entry from the parking lot. The Senior Center Department and programs would be on the second floor, which can be accessed directly through a new entrance on Church Street, or from the parking lot level by using an elevator.
Initial plans call for increasing the current 87 spaces to 107 spaces, including 12 spaces for handicapped parking.
Neighbors have questioned the impact of the project on both traffic and parking. .
The Eagle asked last night if there will be a parking study to determine if there are enough spaces. Cosgrove said there should be sufficient parking.
###
It is a shame when any citizen attends a public meeting, asks questions which effect our Town, quality of life and the tax base and expresses one's 1st Amendment right. One is immediately attached with a tag of who he/she is friends with, and other bias tags which benefit a commercial blogger to express and slant the blogger's political viewpoint. Shame the blogger's poltical standing is not tagged to him! But a blogger is a user of the internet who posts his/her views on various topics regardless of accuracy, truth or one's bias.
I am pleased that the Eagle's journalists are not bloggers and report accurate information, which I enjoy reading. Keep up the professional good work.