Hopewell Valley school board awards bid for construction projects

Voters authorized $10.15 million for the Timberlane and Central High projects in a Sept. 28, 2004 referendum

By John Tredrea
   A $10 million bid for work at Timberlane Middle School and Central High School was awarded to the Berlin-based firm of Dandrea Construction by the Hopewell Valley school board Monday night.
   Voters authorized $10.15 million for the Timberlane and Central High projects in a Sept. 28, 2004, referendum.
   Left over from the amount authorized by referendum is the sum of $150,000. According to Public Information Officer JoAnn Meyer: "The intent is to save this for the new entrance at the high school, but we don’t know what that’s going to look like yet. We’ll have a better idea after we do the traffic study of the entire Timberlane-high school campus."
   The largest component of the referendum approved by Valley voters in 2004 was the Timberlane project. It includes 10 new classrooms, including two science labs and a larger band room; a new gym, expanded locker rooms and offices; conversion of a small auditorium into two computer labs; renovation of two sets of student lavatories; retrofitted gym bleachers to comply with a state mandate; expanded space for the school nurse; and a renovated kitchen.
   Items pulled out of the original bid package include: kitchen equipment, solar roof panels, replacement roof for one part of the building, HVAC work in faculty room, new facade for cafeteria, solar tubes (use of these would allow more natural light in a classroom) and exterior canopies.
   "This doesn’t necessarily mean they (the items noted above) won’t get done. They just won’t be done with referendum money," said Ms. Meyer.
   Items modified from the original package include, said Ms. Meyer: "Instead of putting in solid-wood casework, we will use cheaper particle board with wood veneers. Instead of motorized shades in the gym, we will use tinted windows. We relocated the geothermal field. It will be installed under the multipurpose field inside the track — the one we use for football. We think we can get the new kitchen equipment cheaper on our own, so we pulled that one, too."
   All the school board members voted in favor of awarding the bid to Dandrea except Werner Graf of Hopewell Township, who abstained.
   "I’m not up to speed on this," said Mr. Graf, who recently was appointed to the board to complete the unexpired term of Michael Bruno, who resigned. Mr. Bruno had cited increased job responsibilities as his reason for leaving the board.