AMHERST — A packet containing schematic designs for a new elementary school and other related documents is being submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, a milestone step before the project is brought before voters this spring.
The Elementary School Building Committee voted unanimously late last week to have DiNisco Design get the schematic design binder, including the design program, space summary and building characteristics, along with a summary of the overall educational program, to the state agency by the March 2 deadline.
The new elementary shool, a 105,570-square-foot, three-story building serving students in grades K-5, would be built at the site of Fort River School and replace both that school and Wildwood School, 1970s-era buildings that have limited natural light and issues with noise.
The packet going to the state, containing thousands of pages of documents from traffic and geotechnical analyses to building systems descriptions and sustainability documentations, includes an attached Department of Elementary and Secondary Education submission.
“That’s really an important component that we need their approval, and MSBA needs their approval before the project scope and budget agreement,” said Donna DiNisco, principal of DiNisco Design.
While DiNisco said the documents can be tweaked and edited, the size of the building, its location and anything that affects costs can’t be changed.
The MSBA board will meet on April 26. The tentative town vote on the $98 million project will come a week later, on May 2. Before the vote, the town anticipates learning how much the state will reimburse it for the project, likely in the 30% to 40% range, and the exact cost to taxpayers, which could change depending on whether some town reserves are used.
Both Cathy Schoen, District 1 town councilor and chair of the School Building Committee, and At-Large Councilor Ellisha Walker have proposals before the Finance Committee to use town capital reserves to reduce the borrowing burden.
Schoen’s suggestion is to allocate $5 million of capital reserves to support the initial costs of geothermal and photovoltaic systems in the new building, while Walker’s idea is to use $10 million of capital reserves.
Schoen said the documents being submitted to the state have details that can answer many of questions the community will have in the lead-up to the vote, and the building committee will be able to draw upon them to inform voters.
Town Manager Paul Bockelman said Tuesday that as the town awaits a response from MSBA, the building committee members are beginning an extensive local education campaign about the project.
Bockelman offered appreciation to the design team, project director Margaret Minor Wood of Anser Advisory and Schoen for leading the committee.
Schoen said she is encouraging other members of the building committee to join her for a series of in-person and virtual events on the project.
“I’ve just been saying yes to anyone who wants us to come,” Schoen said.
That will include meetings hosted by district councilors in their districts or online, and others being put on by the Council on Aging, Applewood at Amherst and the Mill District.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
