Westport in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Sunday, April 9, 2017
photos/EverythingWestport.com except as
noted
Additional $1.8 million sought for
new police station project!
Local Fire Fighter and Paramedic develops CARES program to
assist seniors in home safety.
WCC awards grants for 19 projects
in 2017.
Westport Housing Production Plan workshop scheduled
for Thursday, April 27th.
Allens Pond Sanctuary
seeks volunteers to repair damaged nest platforms, monitor breeding activity.
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Additional
$1.8 million sought for new police station project. Construction
and site preparation costs soar due to tight labor market. Only two bids
received for the project. EverythingWestport.com Thursday, April 6, 2017 Photos | EverythingWestport.com
Special Correspondent to
EverythingWestport.com Westport selectmen have decided to lend their support to a request for
additional funding for the construction of a new police station after a
meeting with the police station building committee on April 3. The building
committee reported that recent construction bids for the new police station
planned off Hix Bridge Road came in much higher
than expected, leaving the town with the option of downsizing the building to
fit the original $8.5 million budget, or seeking more money from town
meeting. After reviewing a number of alternatives to the preferred building
plan, selectmen voted 4-1 to put an article on the annual town meeting
warrant seeking an additional $1,849,800 in town funds for the project.
Town meeting already appropriated the $8.5 million for the project, but
the building committee realized there would be a funding shortfall when the
low bid for the proposed construction of a scaled-down design came in at just
over $7.5 million. Based on that low bid, the estimated total project costs
were pegged at $10.4 million for the preferred plans. The new station was designed to be over 16,500 square feet, but
selectmen learned that a scaled back 15,729 square foot version of the
facility would cost about $7.58 million to build. The building committee said
that at least another $640,000 in town funds would be needed to prepare the
site and equip the new station with basic furnishings. In addition to extensive site work needed for the chosen location next
to the Hix Bridge Fire Station, the building
committee also recommended the station be equipped with a new communications
system, radio antenna, and complete furnishings that would bring total
project costs to about $9.3 million. According to the police station’s
architect Jeff McElravy, a Connecticut general
contractor who was the low bidder on a previous police station built by McElravy’s company, Tecton Architects,
PC, had declined to submit a
bid even though they were pursued to do so. The committee gave selectmen four other options for upgrades to the scaled-down
plans, including a covered parking area, meeting and
training rooms, and a rooftop cupola for the building. Restoring the classroom and meeting rooms cut from the original plans
would hike total project costs to around $10.4 million, creating the $1.8
million shortfall. The most expensive option offered was a $10.9 million plan
that included adding a fiber optic line network for the communications system
at an extra cost of $600,000. Police Chief Keith Pelletier said he had promised voters to keep the
project costs at the $8.5 million figure, and the department would be happy
with a smaller footprint just to get the new station built. “Even the
original $8 million is a lot of money,” he noted, saying he was uncomfortable
going back to voters to ask for more money. However, building committee member Carl Tripp said most of his board
was not as eager to scale back the plans to keep total project costs down. He
said the committee was recommending the $10.4 million option to fund the
original design for a larger building, and plans that included a new
communications system and furnishings. Chairman of Selectmen R. Michael Sullivan was curious as to why the
construction bids came in at 23 percent more than the original cost
projections. He thought the $10.4 million in total project costs was too
high, and would prefer a lower-priced option that would keep costs around $10
million. Other selectmen favored seeking the full $1.8 million needed to build
the facility as planned. Pelletier said he thought an additional $1.5 million
in funding was a reasonable compromise that the building committee could make
work. Selectman Tony Viera favored the option
requiring the $1.84 million in extra funds for a $10.4 million estimate of
total project costs. He felt it would be “a mistake” to downsize the plans
the committee has been working on for months. “It’s a solid plan” that the
town should stick with, he suggested. King said that no matter which plan the town went with, some borrowing
would be required to cover the additional costs. “The town doesn’t have the
additional funds to pay for this... it would have to come from borrowing,” he
noted. The town wouldn’t have to borrow the entire amount, but could reduce
the debt by using some free cash or a transfer from the stabilization fund.
If the town used about $500,000 in available funds, and borrowed $1.3 million
for five years, the annual debt service would be about $200,000, he said. “We’re only going to do this project once, so let’s do it right,” King
advised. After some discussion, Viera’s motion to put
a $1.84 million request for funding before town meeting passed on a 4-1 vote.
Sullivan cast the only no vote on the article, asking voters to use $500,000
from free cash or the overlay surplus, and a $1.3 million short-term bond for
the remainder of the needed amount. Vieira noted that the town has about $1.2 million in the overlay
surplus account, set aside for possible tax abatement requests, which could
be used to help finance the project. Nearly a half million dollars of that
amount has already been earmarked for capital needs in Fiscal Year 2018, he
pointed out. Last year’s annual town meeting approved an $8 million debt exclusion
override for a new police station, later endorsed by voters at the ballot
box. Funding for a design study for the project was approved by voters at a
special town meeting in December. The building committee had hoped to select a contractor by the end of
March, and was planning a mid-2018 completion date, but that timetable may be
pushed back by the need to secure additional funding for the project at the
May annual town meeting. The current police station, built in 1975, has been under discussion
for replacement for years. Pelletier has said the building is unsafe and
unsuitable for a modern police department’s needs. The building has
experienced flooding in the basement for some time, sustaining serious water
damage and requiring the relocation of detective offices and storage areas in
the basement to the Hix Bridge Road fire
station. Local Fire Fighter and
Paramedic develops CARES program to assist seniors in home safety. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, April 9, 2017 The Westport Cares
Program is a new program created by the Fire department, the Council on Aging,
and the Police Department.
The program is fashioned after the Somerset Fire Department’s outreach
Cares program, which was a success for their residents.” After FF/Paramedic, Ann Marie Peckham moved to the Westport Fire Department, she saw
the need for the program to be developed for Westport’s own residents.
Working in the emergency field, she would often see patients who may be
living in sub-par conditions and need additional services along with fire
protection. “Their (Somerset’s) program is designed to provide outreach to these
clients. With collaboration from the Westport Council on Aging, the Westport
Police Department, and the American Red Cross who donate the smoke detectors,
we have been able to implement a program.
Each department has its own special programs and services for our
residents to assist them and keep them safe” Peckham’s hope is that the Cares program
continues to be a success and that “Westport residents know that we are here
for them 24/7. It’s time to keep our seniors safe.” Peckham’s goal
is to raise awareness of the program and the many benefits it provides to
Westport seniors. It’s important to give back to the community and take care
of our older generation who took care of us. So far, they have conducted a number of visits and have seen a
respectable success. Clients were grateful for the various services and
detectors installed and are now aware of the programs offered by the Council
on Aging and the Police department. For the Firefighters who have
participated in the program, they are making a difference and are giving back
to the senior community. “It is a rewarding experience when you can sit with a client in a
non-emergent mode and inform them about fire and fall safety, and refer them
to services they may need. Generally, we are there in emergent situations and
see patients on the worst day of their lives.
It is an opportunity for residence to learn about the Fire Department,
the staffing levels, the equipment we have and how we respond to
emergencies.” Peckham’s hope
is that the Cares program continues to be a success and that our residents
know that we are here for them 24/7. It’s time to keep our seniors safe. For more information on our program and to schedule a safety visit,
please call 508.636.1110 or email Ann Marie Peckham,
FF/Paramedic and ares
Program Coordinator at: ffpeckham@westport-ma.gov. Local architect wins
majority endorsement from School Building Committee to build new Jr/Sr High School. But with
an obvious schism between some committee members and Jonathon Levy
Architects, is the still-to-be-approved project’s on-time/on-budget success
moving forward in jeopardy? EverythingWestport.com Sunday,
April 9, 2017
Special
Correspondent to EverythingWestport.com Nearly
all of the Westport School Building Committee voted on Thursday, March 30th to
stay with the custom-designed local plans for a combined middle/high school
developed over the past 12 months, rather than switching to a new “model
school” design that could have potentially saved the town as much as $6
million dollars in project costs. Of
the 17 building committee members present, 14 voted to stick with the
locally-developed custom plans, while two others favored scrapping that
“preferred option” in favor of an adapted version of the design used for the
construction of Longmeadow High School in 2011. Committee Co-Chair Dianne
Baron abstained from voting, indicating she still had concerns about project
costs, site issues, and with continuing to work with the consulting
architects developing the local plans. Nearly all of the Westport School Building Committee voted on March 30
to stay with the custom-designed local plans for a combined middle/high
school developed over the past 12 months, rather than switching to a new
“model school” design that could have potentially saved the town as much as
$6 million dollars in project costs. But
with an obvious schism between some committee members and Jonathon Levy
Architects, is the still-to-be-approved-by-voters project’s on-time/on-budget
success moving forward in jeopardy? And
Committee Co-Chair Diane Barron is concerned that inaccurate reporting by a
local weekly newspaper over project cost-cutting could muddy the waters when
seeking voter approval. Of the 17 building committee members present, 14 voted to stick with
the locally-developed custom plans, while two others favored scrapping that
“preferred option” in favor of an adapted version of the design used for the
construction of Longmeadow High School in 2011. Committee Co-Chair Dianne
Baron abstained from voting, indicating she still had concerns about project
costs, site issues, and with continuing to work with the consulting
architects developing the local plans. Superintendent of Schools Ann Dargon,
Westport High Principal Cheryl Tutalo, and several
other school department representatives all spoke in favor of staying with
the local design; Selectmen Tony Vieira and Craig Dutra also said they
preferred the custom plans despite the additional costs expected. Longwood High School was built at a cost of $47.48 million six years ago,
a price tag adjusted for inflation to $60 million and $65 million. Added
development and site costs plus the $8.5 million estimated for the demolition
of the closed middle school put total project costs at $76-$81 million. At a March 22 presentation, representatives of OMR Architects, which
designed the Longmeadow facility, estimated that 2018 bids for revised plans
would likely come in at around $83 million, not including the
non-reimbursable $2-3 million extra expense of the oversized gymnasium and walking
track the building committee wants included in the plans. Many members of the building committee felt that the design changes
needed to adapt the model design to fit Westport’s education plans would
inflate that $86 million in total project costs to nearly the same $92
million estimate for the locally-designed junior/senior high school. Although
the biggest incentive to switching to the model school design was an added
five percent reimbursement of eligible costs from the Mass. School Building Authority,
most committee members felt the potential savings did not outweigh the
disadvantages of the new plans. Other potential savings would have been generated by a cap on
architect’s fees that could save more than a million dollars, and a shortened
design and construction time frame which could eliminate as much as $700,000
in inflationary cost increases, owner’s project manager Dan Tavares told the
committee before the vote. “Educationally speaking, my vote would be to support the JLA (Jonathan Levi Architects) custom-designed building,”
Dargon said during a straw poll of members before
the formal vote. Westport School Committee member Antonio Viveiros
agreed, saying the alternative plan “was not an ideal model for Westport” for
a number of reasons. The alternative model school plan “would take a lot of changes to make
it work” in Westport, Dutra said, with a potential for millions in added
costs. “I’m not sure it’s the low-cost option,” he suggested. His opinion echoed that of Vieira, who had just stated that he thought
“it would be a mistake” to switch plans after a year’s work because there was
some possibility of “a few million dollars” in savings. Later, School Committee member Mark Carney made a similar comment,
saying, “I’m not sold that it’s a $4 million difference” between the two
plans. He feared greater operating and maintenance costs with the Longwood
model, and extra transportation costs if athletes had to be bused back to the
present high school campus because of limited playing fields in the OMR
design. Building committee co-chair Tracy Priestner,
both an educator and a member of the Westport Finance Committee, said in the
straw poll “there is a $4.2 million savings (promised)” with the model school
option, “but we need to go with the best design for Westport students.” She
also felt that changes to the OMR design “would cut into some of those
savings” that were being projected by additional MSBA
reimbursements. The JLA design “suits our needs best,” she
suggested, because it allows better separation of middle and high school
students, a safer traffic pattern for the site, and more athletic fields. She
felt the building committee could work to reduce the costs of the local
design and “stay fiscally responsible” to taxpayers who must approve the
project. Baron, the other co-chair, said she was concerned about overall costs,
noting that JLA designs are “among the most
expensive per square foot” of any school construction projects. She also
expressed some frustration over the sometimes difficult “working
relationships” with the JLA team, and their failure
to address the need to identify potential well sites for the proposed school
and nearby public library and elementary school. The steering committee working directly with Levi has tried some
“corrective measures” to make the design team more responsive to its wishes,
but those efforts have largely failed, she noted. A suggested switch to a new
architect to finalize the JLA design would be too
costly at this point, Baron said. Town Administrator Tim King was the most vocal opponent of staying with
JLA and the local design option. “I’ve been very
disappointed with Jonathan Levi on this process,” he said, because his team
has not always been responsive to the building committee’s orders. “I would
rather take my chances” with the model school plans, he added. The other vote in favor of switching to the OMR design came from
educator Sue Ubiera, who said she thought the
potential savings would encourage more community support for a new school.
“Every penny matters,” she suggested. After an hour of polling members and related discussion, Baron called
for a formal vote, resulting in a 14-2 show of hands in favor of staying with
the locally-designed plan. She did not choose either option before
announcing, “We are staying with the custom-designed school plan.” The committee recruited Town Planner James Hartnett, member David Cass,
and school maintenance head Michael Duarte to reinforce the steering
committee as it continues to work with Levi and his team as the group works
on finishing the final schematic design to be submitted to the MSBA by May for final approval of the project by the
state agency in June. At the current 46.9 percent MSBA
reimbursement rate, the current estimate for a $92.4 million project would
net the town about $39.3 million in grant money, leaving Westport with just
over $53 million to finance with voter approval. WCC awards grants for 19 projects
in 2017. EveryThingWestport.com Sunday, April 9, 2017 The Westport Cultural Council is pleased to announce that over $26,000
in grant funds have been awarded to nineteen community projects. WCC is
proud to support creative and cultural experiences in Westport for all
ages. All dollars awarded will help to
bring a wide array of wonderful activities and programs throughout the year,
and introduce school children to music, theater and literature. Funds for these awards are from a grant from the Helen E. Ellis Trust/
Bank of America. WCC members are gratified to
receive these funds in memory of a beloved artist and longtime resident of
our town. Each grant will give support to individuals and nonprofit
organizations, teachers and students who work so hard to bring concerts,
field trips, outstanding artists and exhibits that enrich and expand the life
of citizens in our town. Congratulations to all awardees. This year’s awardees
include: Westport Historical Commission A
trail and symposium- Cuffee & Wainer family Westport River Watershed Alliance River
Day Gr. Tiverton Choir Annual Concerts at St. John the Baptist
Church Westport Art Group Summer camp scholarships for students Westport River Watershed Alliance Summer
science camp scholarships Westport Historical Society
New exhibit on Headwaters
to Harbor Westport Free Library
Irish Magic Show for
families Westport
Land Trust Town Concert with Cheryl Wheeler Concerts on the Point
Performance by
classical group part of series WCC
Summer Free Film Series Westport Elementary School
Residency visit by authors Westport Music Boosters
Tickets and bus for
students to NB Symphony Westport Music Boosters
Supports for Drama Club –
costumes Joseph Ingoldsby Butterfly garden at Macomber School The Art Drive Support for marketing Open Studio Westport Middle School
Trip to Christmas Carol at
Trinity for 7th graders South Coast Artists Support for marketing 2 wkend Open Studio Dharma Voyage Master boat builder to work with students Paskamansett Bird Club
Support for speakers
on Puffin recovery Westport Cultural Council is a member of the statewide network of local
cultural councils in Massachusetts and a program of the Massachusetts
Cultural Council. Members of the WCC are appointed
by the Selectmen and serve as volunteers to support the creative life of our
town. Individuals, schools, and cultural organizations are eligible to apply
for project support from their local council. Funding for cultural field
trips is also available.. Helen E. Ellis (1889-1987) was a sculptor and Westport resident for
over 50 years. Dedicated to arts and
culture, she was elected to the National Association of Women Artists and
Sculptors. During her life Ms. Ellis
cultivated community-wide interests and encouraged others to develop their
creative talents. The Helen E. Ellis Charitable Trust was created in her
memory WCC meets
on the first Wednesday of each month at the Westport Town Hall Annex. Please contact Irene Buck, Chair if you
have questions. For updates of the
Westport Cultural Council, please visit www.westportculturalcouncil.org, or
the Westport Cultural Council Facebook Page. Westport Housing Production
Plan workshop scheduled for Thursday, April 27th. Registration is not required, but they request you pre-register
for the workshop by email to WestportHousing@outlook.com. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, April 9, 2017 The Westport Affordable Housing Trust Fund has contracted with a
consultant to prepare an update to the town’s Housing Production Plan, set to
expire at the end of July. The town has selected the planning firm of JM
Goldson community preservation + planning to prepare the plan under the
oversight of the Trust. Having a current Housing Production
Plan is important to enable the town to reach safe harbor and have more
control over potentially unfriendly Chapter 40B
housing proposals. The new Housing Production Plan must be approved by both
the Planning Board and Board of Selectmen before the end of June. The Housing Production Plan is a state-recognized planning tool that,
under certain circumstances, allows the town to influence the location, type,
and pace of affordable housing development. This document establishes a
strategic plan for the production of affordable housing that is based upon a
comprehensive housing needs assessment, and provides a detailed analysis of
development constraints due to infrastructure capacity, environmental issues,
protected open space, and regulatory barriers. When a Housing Production Plan is certified by the state Department of
Housing and Community Development (DHCD), a local
Zoning Board of Appeals’ denial of a Chapter 40B
comprehensive permit for an affordable housing proposal will be upheld if the
application is not consistent with the local needs outlines in such a plan.
Based on 2010 census figures, the Town of Westport must produce 32 subsidized
housing units for a one-year certificate of compliance with DHCD guidelines, or 64 units for a two-year certificate. In order to collect meaningful public input on the new plan, the
Affordable Housing Trust is encouraging participation by residents, business
owners and town officials in a community workshop scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on
Thursday, April 27 at the Alice Macomber Primary School, 154 Gifford Road,
Westport. To pre-register for the workshop, please reserve your seat by e-mail to
WestportHousing@outlook.com. This is an open public meeting and registration
is not required to attend, but your RSVP will help the event planners provide
adequate refreshments and informational materials about housing needs in
Westport. For more information about the Housing Production Plan development
process, contact Housing Specialist Leonardi Aray by email to Leonardi@larayarchitects.com
or by calling 617.270.3912. Allens Pond Sanctuary seeks
volunteers to repair damaged nest platforms, monitor breeding activity. Osprey are returning in numbers to the SouthCoast
This short story was written by Gina Purtell,
Sanctuary Director of Mass Audubon Allens Pond
wildlife sanctuary. EverythngWestport.com Sunday, April 9, 2017 “A new season is just getting underway, and I don’t mean spring. I mean
the season of bird nesting and raising young. So many of our avian
neighbors are here for this season alone, living half or more of their life
someplace further to the south.
Among those are the osprey, our emblematic bird of Buzzards Bay and the
estuaries and other wetlands that feed it. One might think that a bird that
spends our coldest months in warmer climes is ill-adapted for snow and sleet
but in fact, these are fantastically hardy birds. Less concerned about their
own comforts, they time their arrival at our shores to the availability of
fuel to support their young: the herring. While they sample from a variety of fish, herring are their
staple. As the herring begin to return, so do the osprey. The first reports of They endure high winds and cold rains, even snow, in the weeks ahead
with the faith that herring will nourish the egg-producing, and incubating,
female. Mass Audubon’s team at Allens Pond Wildlife
Sanctuary will be repairing damaged nest platforms and then monitoring the
breeding activity at nearly 90 nests in the Westport River/ Allens Pond Important Bird Area. This project is funded
by project sponsors and executed with tremendous volunteer help.” Those wishing to support the work in any way are invited to contact the
team at allenspond@massaudubon.org.
To participate in an intensive, day-long dive into the lives of osprey,
the Sanctuary is also offering an Adult Field School on Saturday, June 24th.
To learn more about these programs, and to register online, go to: www.massaudubon.org/allenspond. © 2017 Community Events of
Westport. All rights reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
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