The question of where Leap will run its program during construction is relevant to the question of why “it would be absurd “ for Leap to share space in our state of the art new school facility in lieu of spending a few more million . No one is questioning the importance of a quality after school program.With respect, Carol Ryan Sent from my iPhone This thread is about housing LEAP during construction.
To insinuate there is a a real risk to kids "so close to an active construction site, with all the potential for safety hazards as well as exposure to toxic construction materials" is absurd and demonstrates a complete lack of faith in town administration and in members of the CCBC. It is a completely unnecessary red herring lobbed into the fray. Did we not just accommodate 550+ students, faculty, and staff virtually seamlessly on site while renovating the entire school? Why would anyone think anything less would be tolerated in the case of this construction project?
John
Andy, This is very important information and I wish it had guided discussions long before we got to where we are today.
As LEAP is integral to school programming, it’s location has always been part of the discussion, but we had not heard so directly and definitively that there are serious implications for design choice that will influence the potential cost of ensuring LEAP was is located in such a way as to continue safe and efficacious programming. I am surprised that , given the importance of LEAP, there was not a rep. on the CCBC, raising these issues early and often and incorporating them into planning. Susan Taylor was often a voice, but only in reminding all that LEAP and movement of children around campus needed to be considered. She has been a strong and effective advocate for these safety concerns.
But it is imperative for us to know the potential plans (and costs) for LEAP's ongoing operations as we attempt to narrow down design choices.
We are now in very uncertain waters.
Thoughts on how best to proceed to get the best information as we look at design?
Sara
I wanted to point out that the comment the CCBC made about LEAP continuing in the Pod C during construction was a comment, not a plan. There was also discussion in a prior meeting about splitting LEAP to the school and the Hartwell building during construction. None of these have been vetted with LEAP and EEC (LEAP’s Licensing board) for suitability, safety, or feasibility. LEAP is actively monitoring the evolution of the plans of the CCBC and its impact both during construction and in its final instantiation. It’s hard to say the exact approach LEAP will take until a specific direction is selected by the town for the CCBC, but it is definitely something we are tracking.
Folks can rest assured that whatever approach is taken, safety of the kids is of paramount importance. Andy President, LEAP board of Directors
According to a recent communication
with the CCBC, the current thought is that the LEAP program will continue to
operate in Pod C during the construction/renovation phase of the community
center. This raises serious concerns to me. If we look at Option 1 (100% design),
construction of the community center will overlap with the location of Pod C
(graph below - the blue square is my approximation of where Pod C sits based on
CCBC docs). This means that LEAP would probably be part of an active construction site!
In the 75% and 50% designs, LEAP would be right next to the construction
site. I am concerned about having children
so close to an active construction site, with all the potential for safety
hazards as well as exposure to toxic construction materials. Not sure how LEAP
access to the septic system will be impacted during construction. I have to
assume that construction will last at least 12 months if not more.
In the most recent CCBC meeting, the
architects estimated that the LEAP portion of the project adds ~$3.4M to the
cost. We owe it to our community to at least consider the possibility of saving
money for the town while ensuring the best for our children. Our net-zero brand-new school offers adequate space and access to new playgrounds, and since the LEAP program runs after regular school hours, there's no scheduling conflict. We would be making the transition for kids attending the program much easier. The math team already meets in a hub once a week. Why wouldn't we use the school for more hours of the day?
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Agreed.
Sent from my iPhone
There must be a way to accommodate LEAP in the new, spacious school…
Craig Donaldson
The school is too big by any standard. We have 550 students with a declining school population. The architect and school administration at the time told us the building was designed for 650 students. More recently, the school architects publicly told
fellow architects that the school was designed for 700 students. 9 grades (k-8) each have 4 separate classrooms. Only 2 of the 7 grades have enough students for 4 simultaneous classrooms. Applying the state education sizing guidelines for a new school,
our 165,000 square feet should support over 1000 students.
It would be helpful to our discussion if people can agree on certain facts.
What exactly do people like about Plans A, B or C? I like none of them as I believe the premise of intergenerational mingling as a goal won't be accomplished with the limited available hours for senior programming at Hartwell because of the parking,
traffic and safety concerns. The new community center will have senior programming by design only from 9 to 2:30 on M, Tu, Th, Fr and 9 to 12 on Wed.
The CCBC presents parking as ample with 50 spots nearby without telling the community that the current users of Hartwell may already be using many if not most of the 50 nearby spots. So, we may only have 5 to 10 open spots at any given time or maybe even
fewer if there are events/meetings going on at the main Hartwell building's multi purpose room, training room or School business office.
I am afraid that the CCBC is sticking with a Community Center based in Hartwell for the wrong reasons. The town has an obligation to its seniors. I just don't want to build a core town building in a location that comes with so many restrictions/limitations.
Peter Buchthal
71 Weston Rd
You write as if everyone agrees the school has too much space. I, for one, don't.
In my view, if there are lessons to be learned from the school building project, it is wise to examine the reasons why the town voted down the project in 2012, thereby rejecting $20.9 million in state funding. Hubris, perhaps well-intentioned but overly
wrought disagreements about site and design, concerns about cost? Likely, all of the above.
To my ear, this dialogue sounds very similar, and I cannot help but believe that if we kick this down the road, costs are only going to increase and the impact of the project diminished.
I trust the work the CCBC has done and will very likely support their recommendation.
John
People of course are allowed to have their own opinions, but I don't believe this building project is about accepting our responsibility for taking care of our elders. As I have mentioned before, my father lived to 97 and was a big user of his local Council
on Aging. You apparently believe that if one does not support the CCBC's decisions, you don't support our Council on Aging and its mission. This is far from the truth.
Many on Lincoln Talk and others in town simply question the Council on Aging Hartwell generous building space requirements. Residents simply do not want to build a building that is bigger than our needs like we did with the school. There is also a healthy
debate on whether it makes sense to build a COA/Community Center on the Hartwell Campus without sufficient parking and limited hours to protect the pre-school Magic Gardens and school age (5+) dropoff/Pickup from automobile running child parking lot mishaps.
I am also not aware of any community center anywhere that intentionally colocates a senior center and daycare using a small shared parking lot.
Many on Lincoln Talk and the town would hate to see the town build a huge building that is underutilized and repeats the lack of parking at Bemis Hall.
As a small community with limited resources and the highest per capita debt in the commonwealth, we need to look at large projects with many eyes and many voices. It is a shame that up to now, the CCBC really hasn't listened to the public's concerns.
In an effort to lower the cost and save between 3 and 4 million, I have previously asked why Leap can't be relocated into the school where it belongs. Almost all other school districts have extended day offerings within the school as the hours of a school
and after school program dovetail perfectly. Maybe we should ask our new Superintendent if he could house Leap within the school?
Does anyone know where Leap is going to run while the Hartwell Project is under construction?
Peter Buchthal
71 Weston Rd
I am so surprised that a community that encourages acceptance and tolerance would further not doing the right thing like providing a place for kids, adults and elders should be able to congregate.
It is about space, about money, about having to be held accountable for past neglect like providing a school for children. A place where the kids would be provided safe care at LEAP for parents who work. A place where adults could allow care for the ones who
actually took care of them if they move back home.
This is the same discussion when deciding about a new school, a bunch of intellectuals debating why things should not be provided to others like was provided to them.
Best Regards,
John Gregg
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