By Linda Conner Lambeck
WESTPORT–With local approvals secured and a referendum no longer a threat, the Long Lots School Building Committee met Tuesday at town hall to forge ahead with the $103 million project.
The committee’s to-do list is long, but one thing was scratched off.
Pre-construction engineer chosen
Macchi Engineers, a Hartford-based firm specializing in structural and civil engineering, was selected unanimously to conduct a structural peer review as the project moves to the design and construction phase.
The selection, among three firms that bid for the work, came after a brief executive session. Details of the selected offer will not be made public until a contract is negotiated, said Jay Keenan, the committee chair and a District 2 Representative Town Meeting member.
Macchi Engineer’s job will be to ensure that the planned steel foundation of the new school meets required standards and is structurally sound.
It is one of 28 to 30 subcontractors that will be hired over the next 20 months to work with architect Svigals + Partners and Newfield Construction, construction manager on the project, according to Donald O’Day, a committee member and 3rd District RTM Member.
The plan is to build a new 127,000 square foot school at 13 Hyde Lane, then tear down the aging school that sits on the same property. The tear-down can’t come first because students will be in the old structure until the new one is ready in the fall of 2027.
Keenan told the committee that a sit down with the state to review the plans is being planned sometime this month. He does not yet have a date.
“The state has to give us approval to go out to bid,” Keenan said.
Ground work begins this summer
In the meantime, Keenan said work will be done this summer on the property to pull out tree stumps, lay the groundwork for a planned geo-thermal system and other Phase One work, including some electrical work, placement of trailers, and erection of fencing.
There will also be reviews of finishes for brick and roofing materials, a look at field layouts, consultations with teachers on playground design–all to match the project budget, Keenan said.
Last week, the school board approved revised educational specifications for the project.
Susan Chipouras, the project manager for the building committee, said before the meeting with the state, various aspects of the project must also be reviewed by local health, police and fire officials.
Next steps
After the state weighs in, contracts can be put out to bid.
“We will be close to the end of summer at this point,” Keenan said. “Everything has to be reviewed by the town. Everything has to be reviewed by the state.”
It is unclear when a ceremonial “ground breaking” might occur. Sometime in the fall, it was suggested.
The next meeting of the building committee is set for July 15.
Westport Journal’s recent articles on the Long Lots School Project
- Petitions against LLS replacement costs and approvals fail
- Funding Long Lots / Stepping Stones: setting the record straight
- LLS educational specs approved by BoE
- Jennifer Johnson on LLS budget: haste makes waste
Linda Conner Lambeck
Linda Conner Lambeck covers education for Westport Journal. She was a reporter for more than four decades at the Connecticut Post and other Hearst publications. She has covered education throughout Fairfield and New Haven counties. She is a proud member of the Education Writers Association.
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