At last night’s Board of Selectmen meeting, the Miller-Driscoll building committee presented a monthly update to the town’s selectmen, bringing them up to speed on the committee’s progress with the renovation of Miller-Driscoll.

Committee chair Bruce Hampson spoke to the BoS to give them an overview of the project to date. He reiterated that the total budget–$50,022,000–and the projected completion date–Feb. 9, 2018–have not changed since being presented to residents. He added that the end of construction is scheduled for Nov. of 2017.

Budget and Cost

Hampson also noted that spending on the project has already hit $2.3 million, on primarily soft costs–any costs not involved with actual construction. That would include any consultants or construction manager costs, including design.

“The design development is completed. Our architect, Tai Soo Kim, presented it to the building committee on March 8, and the building committee approved it,” Hampson said, explaining that the original renderings have been expanded and drawn to much greater detail.

He also noted that concurrent with the updated designs, the committee received a detailed and updated design development cost estimate which he said was “almost right on score with what the schematic estimate was.” He explained that the difference between the two is the amount of detail. “Now we’re counting nuts and bolts, and real stuff, so we’re right on the budget,” he said.

Hampson said that the committee has formed a working group to begin the “value engineering process,” as a means to keep an eye on the cost of construction.

“We have a working group that is looking at every single line item of cost, for ideas to reduce the cost; and identify elements that we might include in the bid document as an add-alternate. We won’t know what the real cost is until we bid it and get the costs back and do the contracts. In that bid document there will be a number of elements in the renovation that we want, but that we could live without. So if it does come in over-budget with the bid, we have the flexibility to go ahead and simply not elect those items,” he said.

He added that they are in the process of identifying items that they can “do less expensively or that we don’t need.”

Hampson said this process is due to be completed this month.

Temporary Classrooms Need P&Z Approval

Construction is expected to begin in December 2015, with the destruction of the peach core. The committee is expecting to install six temporary classrooms for any students displaced when the peach core is demolished.

Hampson told the BoS that they have met twice with Wilton’s Planning & Zoning Commission, in an effort to get their approval on temporary classrooms. “They’ve had some concerns about the location of the temporary classrooms, mainly about the drainage. I know we will be able to satisfy their concerns and we will be meeting with them again on March 23.”

He explained that approval from P&Z is needed quickly in order to put out a bid in a timely way to get the classrooms installed in order to be ready for students to occupy them when construction begins. “We expect to get that approval on March 23,” Hampson said.

Hazardous Material Sampling

Hampson said that testing for hazardous materials has started and continues. He said what’s been found is very reassuring.

“We still have some sampling and testing to do, primarily in the soil around the building. But I’m very pleased, I can go to sleep at night now, that what we’re finding in terms of HazMat is significantly less than we thought, significantly less than our worst case scenario,” he said.

He added that there is not yet a final report in writing or any kind of abatement plan, and that nothing will be finalized until testing is completed. “This is a very sensitive subject, and we’re following the strictest requirements of the EPA and CT-DEEP,” Hampson said.

Next Steps

Hampson said following the value engineering process evaluation, the next steps include getting approvals from P&Z as well as Inland Wetlands and the Fire Marshal. The building committee will be meeting with those entities to present the project outline and get their input.

In addition, construction drawings are being completed with a due date of June 12. At that point the drawings can be used to take the project out to bid with construction trades.

Concerns

Hampson said there are no large concerns but possible concerns could include delays in approvals either from the state or municipal bodies, including Wilton’s P&Z.

“Our first meeting with the state was very successful, and Randall Luther from [architect] Tai Soo Kim was very surprised with how easily they approved our outline and plans for temporary classrooms.

One other area of concern that Hampson highlighted was being able to finalize what kind of fuel the renovated school will use. “Whether it will be natural gas–and we do need to know that within the next 30 days so that we can complete the drawings and specifications for that portion of it,” he said. Alternative energy options include gas and propane, and Hampson said that was a decision the school would have to make.

He added that the building committee’s engineer preferred propane because “…it would enhance the energy efficiency of the building.”

Selectmen Response

Following Hampson’s report, selectman Michael Kaelin complimented the building committee’s chair.

“I want to comment on how excellent your work has been. You have painted such a clear picture about how much work the committee has done and how good the work on the committee has been,” Kaelin said.

At the conclusion of the BoS meeting, first selectman Bill Brennan reminded residents that the M-D building committee meetings are now being videotaped and archived on the town website. “We’re doing everything we can to have as much visibility of the project and keep everyone informed, so people know what’s going on,” he said.