August 23, 2022 By Carol Britton Meyer
While the Planning Board participated earlier in a preliminary meeting regarding the proposal to build a new Foster Elementary School -- with expected partial reimbursement from the Massachusetts School Building Authority -- the board formally reviewed the plans for the first time last night, Aug. 22.
The proposal calls for a three-story, 126,385-square-foot building with related improvements at 55 Downer Ave. in the Residence A District. The existing building is roughly 72,000 square feet. About seven of the 40 acres that comprise the site are developable.
Town Real Estate Counsel Susan Murphy explained that the proposed project falls within the Dover Amendment, which means that educational, daycare, and religious uses are protected and therefore cannot be regulated -- although reasonable restrictions can be placed on such projects.
School Building Committee Vice Chair Ray Estes and other members of the development team -- including Gene Raymond of Raymond Design Associates, Inc. -- explained various aspects of the project. A renovation was deemed inadequate to address the building's many deficiencies, Estes said.
While the new building -- if the proposal gains voter approval at the Nov. 1 Special Town Meeting and subsequently at the Nov. 8 ballot box -- would be larger than the current one, it would be set back further from the street -- a plus for the neighboring area.
The proposal focuses on taking advantage of the natural surroundings. Lynne Giesecke of Studio 2112 Landscape Architecture said that the "most colorful part of the site plan is the playground."
The overall plan includes a basketball court, softball field, a wilderness classroom with a raised boardwalk perched over the wetlands -- "We're excited about the unique opportunity this feature will provide" -- an open play field for volleyball, a pre-k program and playground, an expanded Kids in Action offering, a planting buffer, rain garden, 134 shade trees to create a canopy, tennis courts, an accessible path through the play spaces, almost double the existing parking, electric vehicle charging stations, and a community garden offering educational programming in partnership with Holly Hill Farm of Cohasset as part of the streetscape.
Other features include six classroom neighborhoods, natural light, "right-sizes" gymnasium with bleachers and cafeteria and media center, additional music classrooms, multiple outdoor learning spaces, a therapeutic learning center and language-based classroom for special education programs; and a multi-purpose room.
The groundbreaking is expected to occur in the Spring of 2023, with the new building occupied in Sept. 2024 and fully completed by Spring 2025 if all goes as planned.
Project Engineer Andy Street talked about existing site conditions and many of the other details associated with the project. "A lot of work has been done to get us to where we are today," he said.
The plans will also address flood plain concerns, including projected future sea level rise.
Traffic Engineer Jeffrey Dirk said it's important to seek information about any accident statistics associated with the nearby Thaxter St./Rte. 3A/Downer Avenue intersection so that they can be addressed. "I'm not implying that there is a history there, but there will be additional traffic at that intersection with the new school, and we want to be sure it's safe."
While 480 students are expected to attend the new school at the outset if all the necessary approvals are gained, the building is designed to accommodate 605 children, which Dirk said would add an additional 54 to 84 vehicle trips during peak school hours.
"Overall, a lot of progress has been made on these plans," Planning Board Chair Judith Sneath said. "We will get into more detail at our next meeting," which is scheduled for Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.
Sneath noted that a Simmons Road resident had inquired about a possible walking path from that neighborhood to Foster School, which will be addressed at a later date.
The project would be completed in four phases, with more information to come.
The Nov. 1 Town Meeting warrant will ask voters to approve full funding not only for a new Foster School but also for a new public safety facility on Lincoln Street. Town Meeting will also be asked to approve moving up to $7 million from the town's fund balance (rainy day fund) into a separate stabilization fund earmarked solely to reduce the tax impact of both projects, if supported by Town Meeting.
The Select Board also voted recently to include local debt exclusion questions on the Nov. 8 state election ballot regarding the proposed Foster School and public safety facility projects.
A debt exclusion is a temporary funding measure that excludes certain debt from counting against the Proposition 2-1/2 limit on year-to-year property tax levy increases.
In order to secure the requested funding for both projects, two-thirds of the voters at Town Meeting would have to vote favorably on both warrant articles, while the ballot questions would each have to pass by a majority vote.