TEMPLETON CENTER NAMED NEW SCHOOL SITE

TEMPLETON CENTER NAMED NEW SCHOOL SITE
 Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer

After a decade spent searching for adequate land, the Templeton Elementary School Building Committee voted last night to move forward with the existing Templeton Center Elementary School property as the future site of a new school.

The recommendation comes after the owner of 411 Baldwinville Road withdrew from negotiations with the town, citing a low appraisal figure that valued the property at $340,000 well below the original $750,000 asking price.

“He just felt that we were too far apart,” explained Superintendent Ruth Miller. “It’s a business deal for him and it’s his land.”

The recent turn of events left the committee with only one other viable option Templeton Center School.

“We pretty much expelled all other avenues with the exception of T.C. as the only logical alternate site,” said Chairman Kirk Moschetti.

The committee had previously named Templeton Center as its backup choice should negotiations for 411 Baldwinville Road fall through. However, Ms. Miller said she wanted to ensure the other members were in consensus before putting the site forth as their official recommendation to the Board of Selectmen.


Some members were concerned about the limitations of the existing school property, which sits on only 12-acres of land with few parking spaces and little room for expansion.

“I think there’s going to be a lot of compromise on that site,” said Henry Mason.

Mr. Moschetti agreed, saying that the committee needs to explore the ways it can maximize the space available.

“We need to see how we can best situate the school on that site,” he said.

Previously rendered drawings showed the existing school building being extended down South Road towards the police station and over the existing skate park. The building could then form an “L” shape and reach back towards Wellington Road. The plan did not include the police station property, but Ms. Miller said she would meet with interim Town Administrator Bob Markel to potentially develop a strategy to move the department’s headquarters.

“That opens up a lot more opportunities,” she said.

Even without the additional land, Ms. Miller said that there were a number of ways the committee could alter the project to best use the available land, including having the school house pre-K through fourth grade, instead of fifth. “There’s still a lot of decisions that this committee will have to wrestle with, in conjunction with the School Committee and the select board,” she said.

Dr. John Graziano, principal of Templeton Center and Baldwinville Elementary schools, said the site has two distinct advantages it allows the town to put some vacant land to use, and it was by far the cheapest option offered by the project’s engineers.

“The bottom line on any building project is the cost,” he said. “And I think we’re there.”

According to Ms. Miller, once selectmen approve the recommendation, a proposal for the necessary survey work can be sent out, which will need to be completed by April so it may be reviewed at the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s meeting in June.

“That’s our next benchmark,” she stated. “They’re geared up to get going if this is the direction that the committee wants to go.”

The committee voted unanimously to put forward the recommendation to selectmen, who will take it up during their meeting next week.

 

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MBW SALVAGE APPRAISAL
23-ACRE PARCEL EYED FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer

In what will likely be the final push for a new elementary school, the former MBW Salvage property located at 411 Baldwinville Road has been evaluated and assessed, with the final numbers arriving late last month.

According to Interim Town Administrator Bob Markel, the 23-acre property was appraised at $340,000 by Leominster-based Central Mass. Appraisals Inc. Mr. Markel said the results were a “surprise”, and that he was optimistic about a future, beneficial purchase and sales agreement “It’s doubtful we will not be able to reach an agreement when the owner is asking for $750,000 and the assessed value is $409,000,” he said.

The Board of Selectmen signed the appraisal contract in late November on the recommendation of the Elementary School Building Committee, who named the property as their preferred site for a new school.

The committee had put out a request-for-proposals last October once it became clear that construction on the Crow Hill land located on the Templeton Developmental Center property would not be feasible due to “astronomical” site development costs in the millions and complications in the land-swap agreement with the state. Several other sites were discounted in the search due to an abundance of wetlands, leaving the committee with the MBW Salvage parcel. Although there is no formal timeline in place, the land purchase will likely go before voters in the Spring for their approval, once a purchase and sales agreement is negotiated by Mr. Markel and members of the school building committee. Because of the property’s history as an auto salvage business, the agreement will also be contingent on the completion of a 21E environmental test, paid for by the owner.

Should voters reject the land purchase, committee members have stated that the project will fall out of the Massachusetts School Building Authority pipeline, and future attempts at a new school will be met with less favorable reimbursement rates.