wildwood elementary school

368 Pages·2016·5.59 MB·English

preliminary schematic report
wildwood elementary school

amherst, ma
6
1
0

2 *
T
-
9
F w
2
A
e
-
R i
1
v
D e
r
*

r
o
f
submitted to the msba february xx, 2016
6
1
0

2 *
T
-
9
F w
2
A
e
-
R i
1
v
D e
r
*

r
o
f
PREFERRED SCHEMATIC REPORT, FEBRUARY 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3.3.1 – Introduction
o Process Overview
o Summary of Updated Project Schedule
o Summary of Final Evaluation of Existing Conditions
o Summary of Final Evaluation of Alternatives
o Summary of District's Preferred Solution
6
o MSBA Preliminary Design Program Review and District's Response
3.3.2 – Evaluation of Existing Conditions
1
o Executive Summary
0
o Future testing Recommendations
3.3.3 – Final Evaluation of Alternates2 *
o Analysis of Alternatives T
-
o Evaluation of Potential Construction Impacts
9
F w
o Conceptual Architectural and Site Plans
2
o Site/Utilities Narrative A
e
o Structural Systems Narrative
-
1o Mechanical Systems NarrRative i
v
o Estimated Mechanical and Electrical Loads
o Proposed Total PDroject Budget / Construction Ceost Estimate (Uniformat II)
o Permitting Requirements
r
o Propos*ed Project Design and Construction Schedule

3.3.4 – Preferred Solution r
o
o Executive Summary
o Educational Program
f
o Updates Space Summary
o Space Summary Variations
o Sustainability Scorecard
o Sustainability Goals Letter
o Conceptual Floor and Site Plans
o Estimate of Total Project Budget / Construction Cost

MSBA PROJECT NO. 201300080050
PREFERRED SCHEMATIC REPORT,
WILDWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - AMHERST, MA
PREFERRED SCHEMATIC REPORT, FEBRUARY 2016
3.3.5 – Local Actions and Approval Certification
o Certified Copies of School Building Committee Meeting Minutes
o List of SBC meeting dates, agendas, materials presented
o List of School Committee meeting dates, agendas, materials presented
o List of Community Forum meeting dates, agendas, materials presented
o Signed Local Actions and Approval Certification
3.3.6 – Appendix
o xxxxxx 6

1

0

2 *
T
-
9
F w
2
A
e
-
R i
1
v
D e
r
*

r
o
f
MSBA PROJECT NO. 201300080050
PREFERRED SCHEMATIC REPORT,
WILDWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - AMHERST, MA
6
1
introduction
1
0
section 3.3.1
2 *
T
3.3.1 – Int-roduction
9
F w
o Process Overview
2
o Summary of UpAdated Project Schedule e
-
o Summary of Final Evaluation of Exsting Conditions
R i
1
v
o Summary Final Evaluation of Alternatives
D e
o Summary of District’s Preferred Solution
r
o MSBA Preliminary Design Program Review and
*

District’s Resrponse
o
f
3.3.1 introduction

6
1
0

2 *
T
-
9
F w
2
A
e
-
R i
1
v
D e
r
*

r
o
f
wildwood elementary school
amherst, ma
PREFERRED SCHEMATIC REPORT, FEBRUARY 2016

3.3.1 – Introduction
o Process Overview
o Summary of Updated Project Schedule
o Summary of Final Evaluation of Existing Conditions
o Summary of Final Evaluation of Alternatives
o Summary of District's Preferred Solution
6
o MSBA Preliminary Design Program Review and District's Response

1

0

2 *
T
-
9
F w
2
A
e
-
R i
1
v
D e
r
*

r
o
f
MSBA PROJECT NO. 201300080050
PREFERRED SCHEMATIC REPORT,
WILDWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – AMHERST, MA
PREFERRED SCHEMATIC REPORT, FEBRUARY 2016
3.1.1 - INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the Preferred Schematic Report is to define the programmatic, functional, spatial, and environmental
requirements of the educational facility necessary to meet the District’s educational program, and perform the review and
investigation required to clearly define the existing building deficiencies. Based on the District’s educational program we have
identified the programmatic space needs for the Amherst Wildwood Elementary School project. The space needs, along with
an evaluation of existing conditions and site development requirements, have formed evaluation of alternatives upon which
the most educationally appropriate and cost effective solution will be recommended. With that information in-hand, the

Preferred Solution has been approved by the School Building Committee and is being submitted to MSBA for review and
6
comment prior to going to the Board for
1
The Town of Amherst submitted their Statement of Interest (SOI) for the Wildwood Elementary School on March 19, 2013. The
deficiencies identified in the SOI are detailed in the Appendix of the previously submitted Preliminary Design Program (PDP).
0
To summarize the deficiencies here, the District has identified the existing open classroom arrangements, a diverse student

population with a need for differentiation and intervention, a general lack of appropriate ELL spaces, and inherent problems in
2 *
building circulation with the existing location of student toilets and the necessity to pass through active learning classrooms
in order to reach the student toilet facilities. These deficiencies have beTen identified as direct problems that the District
-
desires to correct so that they can provide the best possible educational experience for all of their students. The existing
Wildwood and Fort River Elementar9y Schools were built only a feFw years apart and are nearly idwentical in design and layout.
Both buildings now show similar deficiencies, both from a design standpoint and an infrastructure standpoint. Both schools
were built with open-plan clas2srooms at a time when such design was the prevailing model. Since that time it has been shown
A
e
that such an environment is not conducive to learning for all students. The relatively high percentage of students needing
differentiation and int-ervention is not well served by the existing environment.
R i
1
v
PROCESS OVERVIEW
D e

r
The Preliminary Design Program was submitted to MSBA on December 7, 2015. Review comments from the MSBA were
*

received by the Town of Amherst on January 19, 2016 and the responses to those comments are included in the last part of
r
section. The Design Team has met with the School Building Committee and the School Committee on a regular schedule over
the duration of this phase of the project and the meeoting minutes from all of those meetings can be found in section 3.3.5
“Local Actions and Approval Certification” of this report. The Town of Amherst has conducted independent surveys and
gathered and reported out the results of thosfe surveys to the appropriate Committees. As a result of all of these efforts, the
School Committee voted on January 19, 2016 to approve the grade reconfiguration to include a co-located grade 2-6 school at
the Wildwood site to accommodate a total of 750 students. This grade reconfiguration would include an enrollment for a 750
student 2-6 school, which would entail redistricting to a district-wide system, maintaining the existing Crocker Farms building
as a Pre-K – 1 and creating a new single 2-6 building, replacing the existing Wildwood and Fort River Elementary Schools.
The District and project team have implemented an extremely open, transparent and comprehensive design review process.
In addition to the open, public meetings detailed below the project public outreach includes a web-site hosted by the OPM,
JLA/NV5, which includes all public presentations and agendas and meeting minutes from each public meeting. The District
also has established a FaceBook site on which similar data is posted, public comments can be offered and questions
submitted to the District are answered.
MSBA PROJECT NO. 201300080050
PREFERRED SCHEMATIC REPORT,
WILDWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – AMHERST, MA
PREFERRED SCHEMATIC REPORT, FEBRUARY 2016

School Building Committee Meetings
Multiple School Building Committee meetings were held in which design parameters, site options and building arrangements
were presented and discussed. In addition estimated costs for each of the schemes were presented. In some cases, meetings
were held jointly with the School Committee so all Committee members could benefit from an open discussion of the merits
and issues involved with each scheme and configuration
School Committee Meetings

6
The project team also presented and met with the School Committee on numerous occasions to provide an update on the
design process and to discuss the grade configuration options. Each SC meeting included time allotted for public comment
1
and the team received many comments from residents and parents at each meeting. School Committee meetings were
generally well attended by community members and were broadcast on local public access television.
0

Community Outreach
2 *
Multiple Community Forum meetings were held to present this information to the public and to receive feedback. Each Forum
T
was held in the afternoon (4:00 PM) and i-n the evening (7:00 PM) to allow community members options for attendance. All
Forums were televised on local acces9s network and each devoted considerable time to public comment and question and was
F w
structured in a question and answer format, allowing the District and project team to respond to each question. A survey of
teachers and parents was con2ducted by a professional survey firm in which opinions regarding grade configuration and the
A
size of a potential school were elicited. e
-
Other Meetings R i
1
v
The project team also met with the Board of Selectmen to explain the process and schedule, and to present the design
options. The District also met with multipDle school groups throughout thee evaluation process, including School Councils, Staff,
Paraeducators and Parent Guardian Organizations at each of the three elementary schools.
r
*

r
o

f
MSBA PROJECT NO. 201300080050
PREFERRED SCHEMATIC REPORT,
WILDWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – AMHERST, MA
PREFERRED SCHEMATIC REPORT, FEBRUARY 2016
UPDATED PROJECT SCHEDULE

The proposed schedule is included in the Appendix. The primary milestones from that schedule are as follows:
Submit the Preferred Schematic Plan to the MSBA February 11, 2016
MSBA Facilities Subcommittee Assessment Meeting February 24, 2016
-or- March 9, 2016

MSBA Board Approval of Preferred Schematic Plan March 30, 2016
6
Submit the Schematic Design to the MSBA August 11, 2016
1
MSBA Board Approval of Project Scope and Budget September 28, 2016
0
Debt Override for Project Funding November 2016
2 *
Town Vote for Project Scope and Budget Agreement December 2016
T
-
Start of Construction October 2017
9
F w
Move-In Date August 2019
2
A e
-
R i
1
SUMMARY OF FINAL EVALUATION OF EXISTING CONDvITIONS

D e
The Wildwood Elementary School, located at 71 Strong Street, Amherst, MA was built in 1970. In the Town’s Statement of
Intent (SOI), the following items were noted: r
*
“Both Fort River and Wildwood were built with open -environment classrooms at a time when this floor plan
was the prevailing educational model. Since thart time, it has been proven that this model does not provide
an environment in which all students can learn successfully. We currently have a highly diverse student
o
population which requires a significant level of differentiation and intervention. Forty percent of our
students are income eligible, twenty-two percent are eligible for special education, and fourteen percent
f
are English Language Learners. The open-environment includes three to four classroom spaces per unit
which is noisy, and where learning is easily disrupted. This is true for all students and in particular for
students with hearing impairments, those who are diagnosed with attentional deficits, and/or sensory
disorders. At both schools, there are some classrooms through which students from other classes must
pass in order to enter bathrooms and/or the hallway. This is very disruptive to instruction, whether it is a
single student walking through or the full class of students moving to another activity, which happens
multiple times per day. In addition, the building does not provide enough smaller non-classroom spaces for
students who require small group and/or individual interventions based on their learning profiles.”

The Wildwood Elementary School is a one story building covering approximately 82,000 square feet. The overall layout of the
building is organized around a central connecting corridor with two separate looped corridors – one to the east and one to the
west. The Main Entry is located to the north side of the building and leads directly into the main connecting corridor. The Main
Administrative Offices are located about halfway down the main connecting corridor on the right (eastern side). The Cafeteria
MSBA PROJECT NO. 201300080050
PREFERRED SCHEMATIC REPORT,
WILDWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – AMHERST, MA