With the vote on the Wellesley High School debt exclusion coming up Dec. 9, those against and in favor are pressing to get their points of view aired beyond through the yard signs and car magnets.
The Wellesley for Wellesley High School Committee, which is urging residents to vote No, issued a mailing this week that spells out the group’s concerns about what it calls “the worst problem with the proposed new high school” — an unstable foundation that it says would turn the school into mush should an earthquake strike. Even short of an earthquake, the group argues that the proposed building design from SMMA is iffy given the wetlands, etc. in the area where the school would be erected and the group cites the problematic Lynn Classical High School as a red flag (the Townsman goes over this issue as well this week and SMMA responds here). This group isn’t any too happy with the cost of the proposed new school either. (We also got a separate mailing from Wellesley resident and WHS teacher Paul Esposito urging neighbors to vote No, calling the current building irreplaceable and arguing that the only renovation/addition option presented to the public to date was flawed.)
Meanwhile, Wellesley’s Permanent Building Committee has issued its findings (“Accurate information on the New Wellesley High School Foundation”) on the town’s web site.
The Wellesley for Wellesley High School Committee also contacted us to say that it worked on a program this morning that WCAC-TV will begin airing tonight at 7pm and then in a longer version over the weekend that tells the group’s side of the story (including at 9:30pm the night before the special election). The group suggests in its mailings that the current high school building could be gussied up to address many of the issues that the brand new one would be designed to address, such as greenness.
Its video program would perhaps be a last-minute counter to some of the videos that those in favor of the new building, including the Yes for WHS group, have been promoting. Yes for WHS on Thursday issued an email claiming its rival group’s statements about the proposed building design’s foundation are nothing more than a “red herring.”
Meanwhile, town executive director Hans Larsen shares some mail regarding Wellesley’s funding options in light of the economic downturn.
