Several capital requests for the schools won handily at Annual Town Meeting. Articles 21 through 24 and 26 of the warrant all required a two-thirds majority vote to pass because they called for money from the Capital Stabilization and Investment Fund. All had the recommendation of the Finance Committee.
Voters approved $13,000 for a new flashing school-zone sign at the crossing on Massachusetts Avenue. School Committee member Piali De reported that the old sign was beyond repair. However, the town may not need to spend the money, because, Selectman Tim Clark said, a pending grant from the state Department of Transportation might pay for the sign. The School Committee agreed to put off the purchase until the outcome of the grant application is known, probably within 60 days.
For the Bromfield School, voters approved $22,500 for new vinyl tile to replace worn-out carpeting and $52,500 to finish a punch list of items from the energy-saving project that the Harvard Energy Advisory Committee has been overseeing since 2008.
Ames Hardymon Schnier urged residents to vote no on most capital requests, saying that she thought the Capital Planning and Investment Committee had put the articles in the warrant to undercut support for the Town Hall project. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Brian Smith of the Harvard Energy Advisory Committee reported that earlier stages of the project had uncovered much more failed equipment than expected. He also noted that the committee had negotiated an 11 percent discount with the contractor.
Bromfield will also be getting a new intruder alert system, to the tune of $10,600. The existing alarm system has not worked for some time, according to De, and is so vast that the cost of tracking down the problems would be prohibitive. The new system will include motion sensors and cameras for use when the school is closed. Recent incidents of vandalism, De said, have highlighted the need for the system.
Tennis players who use the Bromfield courts will benefit from a new surface, and new lighting will allow for evening games. School Committee member SusanMary Redinger said that the courts had not been resurfaced since they were built in 2004 and were well past the date when repairs were due. Voters OK’d $24,500 for the project.
No vote on repaving
The School Committee withdrew a $75,000 capital request in Article 25 for the repaving of the Pond Road parking area. While everyone agreed that the parking lot is in dire need of repair, several speakers questioned different aspects of the project.
Selectman Tim Clark recalled the work of the Town Center Planning Committee in 2005, which he said had discussed connections among the schools, the library, the playing fields, and the pond. He suggested that plans for the parking area should consider those connections as a whole, as well as addressing the area’s drainage problems.
Paul Green of Old Littleton Road asked whether the needs of pedestrians had been included in the plans and whether the use of permeable paving material, to limit run-off, had been considered. Susan Macrae, of Oak Hill Road, supported the idea of permeable paving and asked that the project take environmental concerns into account.
Bruce Leicher of the Bare Hill Pond Committee said that the existing storm-water gardens had been designed to cope with run-off from an impermeable surface.
At that point, the School Committee conferred and moved that Town Meeting pass over the article. Voters agreed.
Connection to Town Hall project?
As each of the capital articles was brought forth, Ames Hardymon Schnier of Old Boston Turnpike asked residents to vote it down. She said that, while the projects were worthwhile, in her opinion the Capital Planning and Investment Committee had put these articles forward to undercut support for the Town Hall building project by increasing expenditures in other areas. Schnier objected to what she called a lack of transparency, especially in the deliberations of the capital committee.
Dave Kassel of West Bare Hill Road, who has an advisory role with the capital committee, responded that the requests did not originate with the capital committee, but came to it from the schools by way of the School Committee.
