EMERGENCY MEETING of ESBC
Holly Cow Batman!
This free land ain't so free after all!
Looks like it is back to the drawing board because the so called free land near crow hill may come with a hefty price tag, as in the millions of dollars. At the emergency meeting of the elementary school building committee held tonight, Tuesday, 8/19/2014, it was revealed that the committee will go before the BOS and ask for another RFP for land for the school because of the non reimbursable costs involved with the Crow Hill site are said to be in the 6 to 8 million dollar range. So now it looks like we go to MSBA and ask for more time. Might be time to toss in towel and start a new. Perhaps we could take another look at the Brooks site. Now I will make the point of karma and how it relates to the school district. Perhaps the school committee should have taken no for an answer on the last budget go round'. Perhaps the school committee should have worked for a 100K reduction in budget this year and perhaps the superintendent should have made nice with the transportation costs money? So, either Templeton residents pony up however much is required to buy land or we fix and upgrade the buildings we have and make do until we get things in order. I am betting a coat of paint at Templeton Center school would have gone a long way to help in this latest endeavor. Perhaps we could look at a member of the select board who is in real estate to assist in this matter, that person could do the leg work and searching in service to the town, sort of like volunteering! What ever happens, it looks like this storm is not going away anytime soon.
Jeff Bennett
why is it not reimbursable any longer? did the committee not file the paper work on time or correctly? Or are you saying that it will cost 6-8 million just to get the land ready for building? I couldn't agree more with previous comments that if they had maintained the buildings that they had, the town may not be in the situation it is in now. Now is not the time to be asking taxpayers for more dollars for a new school.
ReplyDeleteJ-
ReplyDeleteThere have always been costs that would not be reimbursable for the elementary school building. It is not the fault of the TESBC for not filing paperwork in a timely manner.
There is no water or sewer infrastructure up on Crow Hill. There would need to be a turning lane added to Rt 202 and the taking of land. To extend water service alone to Crow Hill would cost over 1 million dollars. Land acquisition costs are not reimbursed.
Every state agency has its hand out for money to cover the loss of the their use of OUR land. Land that has been off the tax rolls in Templeton for over 130 years. In many instances land that was donated and added to the Ferncol School original property for the care of the mentally disabled, not the criminally insane.
This new round of RFP's will give the committee time to look for another site.
It may be time to look at renovating and bringing the existing buildings up to code and ADA compliant. MSBA will not fund that type of work.
So the big question is -
Is it less expensive for the town to look at bringing these buildings up to code without MSBA funding than it is to build new WITH MSBA funding? Some estimates are 43- 49 million for a new school. 7 million not reimbursed for site work.
This is just a guess on my part, but I think Templeton could bring the two remaining elementary schools up to code for less than 23- 26 million dollars. Again, that's just a guess on my part and is my opinion...supported by FACTS!!!
Give me a break !! This whole project has turned into a major disaster that could not be any worse if someone had planned it. I am not gloating, it is really sad. Putting a school on top of a very sensitive wetland is not the best option on a good day. I have been suspicious of the finding that the Brooks Land was not good. Look around you, how many shopping mauls are near wet areas ?? That did not shut the project down, they work, around the problem. A puddle does not make a wetland. A decision needs to be made, starting from scratch and redoing the buildings we have make good sense to me. I think going for big money will fall flat, but I could be wrong. I think asking for six to eight million would pass when pigs can fly. Bev.
ReplyDeleteThe things that are and are not reimbursable can be found on the MSBA website and they are many
ReplyDeleteAs we once again try to decide what to do with our School it reminds me of where the term school originally came from.
ReplyDeleteHIstoryofSchool
Thanks Julie for the information! I wasn't thinking about the sewer and water lines and yes to run them up 202 would be very expensive, not to mention blasting the ledge that is on crow hill too. My opinion is to research renovation costs and also to take another look at the Brooks land. just my opinions. thanks again!
ReplyDeleteThe Principal is now in charge of the building maintenance issues as i was told today. This is another change made by Ruth and are we sure the school committee agrees with the change.I wonder if they even know of the change or were part of it.
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