Design for the new middle school in Millstone will be altered in an effort to bring the project within budget.
By: Lauren Burgoon
MILLSTONE The school district’s architect on Monday unveiled the second round of modifications to the new middle school plan in an effort to bring the project within budget before construction starts this spring.
Architect Quay Thompson of Ithaca, N.Y.-based The Thomas Group assured the board that "you will still have a very beautiful school here." He said the second round of cuts to the planned projects would be less painful than the first, which took place in September and cut down on library and classroom space.
The newest cuts do not reduce classroom space at all, Mr. Thompson explained. Instead, the biggest cost savings comes from decreasing the total footprint of the building by rearranging where some rooms will be situated in the two-story middle school. Reducing the building’s footprint cuts down on hallway space and represents a $293,100 savings.
Other cuts and the cost savings totaling $467,100 are setting up the heating, air conditioning and ventilation for future upgrades but not purchasing the equipment now ($46,000); relocating the short-term parking ($33,000); reconfiguring the bus loop to cut down on asphalt costs ($20,000); scrapping some glass features in the library ($20,000); and building a less expensive playground at the existing middle school ($55,000).
There is also a long list of alternative projects on the table that will be bid on separately. If the total project comes within budget, then the alternatives could be included. The items include things like a new district office on-site, using asphalt rather than concrete for sidewalks and abandoning planned storage shelving in classrooms. Exactly which alternatives will be built and which will be abandoned will not be known until the whole project is bid on in February.
The cuts are necessary to keep the project within budget, Superintendent William Setaro said. He added that it is not uncommon for building projects to go through "pencil sharpening" to keep plans in line with costs. The budget approved by residents is $34 million for the new middle school and improvements to other schools. The district cannot go over budget without another referendum.
Dr. Setaro blamed the rising costs of steel, petroleum and concrete as the reason for the changes. He also noted that the project was planned a year ago when the economy was different.
"It’s more economical for us to cut some space now so we can be sure to come in within our budget," he said.
The district found other ways to save money besides cutting down the scope of the budget. A nearby developer is taking dirt from the site in exchange for removing it exactly where athletic fields will be built and grading that area.
Monday was the first time that board members and the public got to see computer-generated images of what the new school will look like on the exterior. The presentation was met with enthusiastic cheers of approval from board members as Mr. Thompson gave a virtual tour of the how the grounds will look. The building will have three two-story wings of classrooms with a huge media center in the main section. Another wing of the school will contain administrative offices, a performing arts center, the cafeteria and two gymnasiums. The exterior was designed with Millstone’s rural character in mind and the outside of the school resembles a huge barn.
The comprehensive overview of the project also included information on traffic flow around the school, which is predicted to be smooth, and renovations to other schools in town. One of the biggest projects will take place at the current middle school, where the town will team up with the school to remove Back Bone Hill Road and transform a tree-filled triangle of land currently across the road from the school into a new road and parking lot.
All of the schools also will receive card entry systems, security cameras, door monitoring systems and telephones in every classroom.
Renovations at the elementary school will take place this summer. The new middle school will break ground in April with an expected opening date by September 2007.