Hardy School in Wellesley within budget—for now

January 17, 2023 by admin 1 Comment

By contributing reporter Jennifer Bonniwell

The town of Wellesley has committed to $18.03 million in the first round of construction contracts on the new Hardy Elementary School–and so far the project remains on budget.

However, Wellesley’s second new elementary school project still has more than two-thirds of the construction bids yet to be determined, and the project manager urged caution.

“Although our first round is under budget, we are still recommending holding our original budget pending the upcoming bids for the additional 70% of the project in the next couple of months,” said Jeff D’Amico, Senior Project Manager of Compass Project Management, the firm tasked with building both of Wellesley’s new elementary schools. Hunnewell School construction currently is underway and is slated to open in February 2024.

If the next round of Hardy School construction bids are higher than budgeted, then the School Committee would be forced to return to Town Meeting to ask for more funding. D’Amico said bids will be completed by mid-March and he will have updated construction cost estimate in early April—before the next Town Meeting.

In a joint meeting with the School Committee and Wellesley Select Board, the Wellesley Permanent Building Committee (PBC) unanimously approved $18,032,866 in construction costs that include demolition of the old Hardy building, as well as orders for concrete, structural steel, roofing and foundation waterproofing. In total, these costs cover about 31% of the total project. (See detailed breakdown at 28:46 of the 1/12/23 Permanent Building Committee meeting).

The PBC also unanimously voted to grant a notice to proceed with construction.

The current estimated construction budget is $56.3 million, which is just $57,574 over the original $56.2 million that was appropriated for construction funding, D’Amico said. Importantly, D’Amico said the current construction estimate is $1.67 million under the $57.9 million budget that Compass had put forth over the past few months. D’Amico noted that the $57.9 million budget was not the current budget because it had been revised by the PBC over the past few months. (See discussion at about 27:00 in 1/12/23 meeting).

“It’s good news,” PBC member Tom Goemaat said.

“Getting us much much closer to where we need to be,” said PBC Chairman Michael Tauer.

Past the Point of No Return

With these first-round contracts approved, Wellesley is now past the point of no return on building a new Hardy school. If the next phase of construction exceeds the budget, the School Committee will be forced to return to Town Meeting to ask for more funding—a scary proposition since it’s possible costs could skyrocket past what the town believes is reasonable to spend on a new elementary school.

In October 2022, the PBC and project team members considered delaying bidding to avoid committing any funding until the full cost was known. Under that scenario, bidding would have been delayed until April, when the Guaranteed Maximum Price is available. However, that would have made it impossible for Hardy to open on time in fall 2024–and affected the town’s plan to redistrict and reduce from seven elementary schools to six. During that meeting, the PBC authorized Compass to move forward with the two-phased bidding process.

On Thursday, none of the School Committee or PBC members asked D’Amico about whether there was any reason to delay accepting the bids or the likelihood that construction costs would exceed what the town was willing to spend.

The only question before the vote was about descoping, which is a phase of bidding in which subcontractors can submit multiple bids to continue to compete for a project even if the first bid was not the lowest. Select Board member Beth Sullivan Woods asked if descoping affects parity between Hardy and Hunnewell. D’Amico said it does not.

No one participated in the public comment period at the beginning of the meeting.

Groundbreaking for Hardy

After approving the first round of construction contracts, the PBC discussed groundbreaking for Hardy, potentially on Thursday, April 6, 2023, which also happens to be the Town of Wellesley’s birthday.

The event would likely be held during the school day so students could participate.

The date is not yet confirmed.

How Did We Get Here

Wellesley residents voted to approve debt exclusions to fund construction of new Hardy and Hunnewell elementary schools in December 2021. The special election followed Town Meeting’s approval for the projects’ funding in October 2021. Both schools will accommodate up to 365 students and are slated to open in fall 2024.

The Hunnewell project began first, with demolition in summer 2022 and construction ongoing. Students from Hunnewell were distributed to the town’s other six elementary schools.

The town has made parity between the two schools an important factor in the design of Hardy. This has posed difficulty in keeping to a budget. While Hunnewell’s construction costs were fixed after contracts awarded, costs to build a comparable school for Hardy have skyrocketed. In April and October 2022, project managers were forced to make design changes to keep costs down for Hardy. While the PBC and project managers were able to bring the estimated construction budget back to the appropriated amount, committee members expressed concern about what would happen if construction costs continued to increase.

The next updates about construction costs for Hardy will likely occur during the PBC meetings in mid- to late March. The PBC meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month.

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Needham Bank comes up big with $100K for Wellesley Track & Field project

December 21, 2022 by Deborah Brown 4 Comments

The Wellesley Field Fund (WFF) set a goal last September to raise $1.5M in private fundraising for Phase 2 of a project to add expensive upgrades, including lights, to the Wellesley High School track and field. Supporters of the Community Investors-backed 501(3)(c) had hoped fundraising would be completed by Thanksgiving, but there’s still $930k to go before lights, team rooms, and a modern sound system come to fruition.

Now the campaign has gotten a boost from Needham Bank with a matching funds campaign that, if successful, would bring fundraising up to 50% of its $1.5M goal. The bank has announced it will contribute $100,000 in matching donations to the WFF capital campaign. This isn’t Needham Bank’s first fundraising rodeo geared toward Wellesley sports. Back in 2016 when the WFF raised $1.3M to resurface the track and install a larger turf field, the bank served as the effort’s lead community partner and donor.

Wellesley resident and Needham Bank chairman, president and CEO Joe Campanelli said, “Having a track and field complex that allows for night games and extends the uses for our town is a win for everyone, not just the student athletes. It brings people together as players and spectators and creates a safe space for the community to gather. We’re very proud to continue to champion this project with our phase 2 gift of $100,000.”

Specifically, the WFF Capital Campaign funds will be used for:

● Team rooms: Locker rooms and bathrooms for home and away teams.
● Lighting: Aimed at providing safety for athletes and spectators during games and practices at dusk or night, and allowing for more people to attend events. The dark sky-compliant lights would be designed to limit their impact on the surrounding area.
● Sound system: Speakers mounted to direct sound to the immediate track & field area.

(Funding for a combo bathroom and concession stand facility would largely be covered by money appropriated at the 2018 Annual Town Meeting.)

Estimated Phase 2 costs, as of July 2022

More here on the Hunnewell Track & Field Project

Not everyone in town is thrilled about the progression of the Track & Field project. Field neighbors and others have spoken out vociferously against the proposal during public meetings for a variety of reasons, including concerns about noise, environmental impact, and traffic. They appealed to the NRC to stick to its policies related to land stewardship when making a decision.

A Friends of Hunnewell Fields proponent cited proximity of a residential neighborhood to the project. In a letter to the Swellesley editors, Cliff Canaday said, “The closest homes to the track & field are just 34 yards away. Research shows that light at night—especially combined with noise—negatively impacts human health. It is especially harmful to children, and children live directly across the street from the track & field. If this was your neighborhood, if these were your children, what would you do? What should you do, as a neighbor?”

A tipping point occurred during the 2021 Town election, when Natural Resources Commission incumbent Raina McManus lost her seat to challenger Lisa Collins. Many observers predicted that this change in the board’s makeup would result in an NRC vote to allow lights to be installed at the Track & Field. Last July exactly that happened when the NRC voted 3-2 in favor of the School Committee’s proposal to allow the lights on the NRC property.

Going forward

During the Dec. 6 School Committee Meeting, SC member Linda Chow delivered a presentation on key updates of the project. Chow said that the School Committee and the Natural Resources Commission, co-sponsors of the project, have been able to accept the first infusion of money from Phase 2 to support the design and permitting process for the team room, lights and sound system. However, the town won’t permit construction to begin until all the funds are secured.

Until that point, there’s still plenty of process to wade through. The School Committee has been meeting with the Health Department to address sanitation concerns about the bathrooms and concession stand area. Roaches, their insidious ways, and how to stop them have been discussed at length. There have also been meetings with the Department of Public Works regarding the potential impact on surrounding plantings, and how replacement trees and vegetation will be handled. In addition, color choices and texture for the structures must go before the Design Review board. The NRC will review plans along the way.

Even with fundraising challenges and a multitude of steps to take, Chow said the target time for the Track and Field bathrooms is summer 2023.

Assuming funding is available by end-of-year 2022, team rooms, lighting, and sound could be a reality by fall 2023.

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Pinnacle Residential Properties: award-winning Fieldstone Way in Wellesley

November 20, 2022 by admin 2 Comments

SPONSORED CONTENT: Fieldstone Way in Wellesley was chosen by judges across the nation to receive the Gold 2022 Prism Award award from The Builders and Remodelers of Greater Boston. BRAGB, a trade association affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders and Remodelers, has represented the industry since 1944. It is one of New England’s most prominent and influential trade organizations.

Pinnacle Real Estate, Fieldstone Way, Wellesley

The Association’s prestigious Prism Award recognizes the finest projects and outstanding achievements of builders, architects, marketing and sales firms, and other professionals in the industry. One hundred and one area companies made 370 Prism entries in six major categories. Sixteen judges from across the United States chose the gold and silver winners.

The Fieldstone Way Builder and Developer was Northland Residential Corporation. Susan Bevilacqua, of Pinnacle Residential Properties, Wellesley was the Director of Sales.

Pinnacle contact: Susan Bevilacqua at 781 589-8257

School starts in Wellesley on Wednesday, Aug. 31 for all students

August 29, 2022 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley public school students go back to class on Wellesley on Wednesday, Aug. 31.

Want to share Opening Day photos with us? Please do: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

The biggest change this year—Hunnewell Elementary School will not open its doors. It can’t. The school, built in 1938, was razed over the summer to make way for a new 76,500 sq. ft. 18-classroom school slated to open in February 2024. While construction is underway, staff and students have been divvied up among four of Wellesley’s five currently open elementary schools—Bates, Hardy, Sprague, and Upham—under a swing space plan. More on the school construction plans.

hunnewell cleared out — Hunnewell Elementary School was torn down over the summer.

District-wide, the school is returning to pre-pandemic operations meaning that, with the exception of all nursing offices, all school buildings and grounds will be mask-optional environments. In addition, the schools will no longer be supporting weekly, school-based viral testing. The remaining stock of rapid tests will be made available to students and staff on demand until supplies either run out or expire.

Other school updates

In a back-to-school message, Superintendent David Lussier reminded families that work on the new Hardy school will begin this winter behind the existing school, which will remain operational throughout the project. “The new Hardy school is slated to open in August of 2024, approximately six months after the opening of the new Hunnewell school. I know I speak for the many people who supported the development and approval process of these projects when I say that it is incredibly gratifying to see these next-generation school projects underway,” Lussier said in his message.

In addition, a significant paving project was completed at the Middle School over the summer, one of many projects at WMS over the years that have included replacement of many windows, work on critical infrastructure such as piping, doors and cabinetry and a full kitchen renovation. After all those upgrades, it seems safe to say that WMS will remain standing and in service for many years to come.

wms pave — Smoothed over Wellesley Middle School parking lot, pre-painting of lines

As for the high school area, the Wellesley Natural Resources commission in July voted 3-2 in favor of the School Committee’s proposal to allow lights to be installed at the Hunnewell Track & Field. The next steps will include private fundraising of about $1 million for the lights, team rooms, and sound system, as well as additional town meetings and approvals before the lights can be installed. Wetlands, the Select Board, Design Review Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals all must sign off on the project before it can move forward. More information here.

Massachusetts has extended universal free school meals through the 2022-2023 school year. This means that breakfast at the Middle and High Schools, and lunch at all schools will continue to be served at no cost to all students. Families will continue to be financially responsible for second meals, a la carte offerings, and beverages.

Even though meals are free for all, families must complete the household Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals for the 2022-23 school year to ensure district eligibility for various programs.

School calendar

First day off: Monday, Sept. 5, in observance of Labor Day.

For more important dates on school schedule, see the 2022-23 academic calendar.

Colleges and private schools start-up dates

As for other educational institutions in town Babson College has the distinction of starting the earliest. Undergraduates at the four-year private business school head to class on Monday, Aug. 29.

St. John School, the private Catholic school that educates students up to grade 6, starts classes on Tuesday, Aug. 30.

School gets going at both Tenacre Country Day School (private pre-K through grade 6) and at Dana Hall (private grades 5-12, boarding and day) on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Classes begin at MassBay Community College and Wellesley College on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Our kids have made it through the Wellesley Public School system. We can use your help if you have kids in the system or if you work for the system to please pass along any school memos you think might be of interest to the Wellesley community at large: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

St. Paul Church in Wellesley to bring back the ring of historic bell

July 10, 2022 by Deborah Brown 2 Comments

St. Paul Catholic Church in Wellesley is looking to bring back the joyful noise of its 96-year old historic church bell after many years of silence. It’s not that there’s anything seriously wrong with the gong itself—just a ringing mechanism that’s no longer functional, but that’s an easy fix. The larger reason the church chimes have been out of commission is because tests conducted by Salem-based engineering firm, Structures North, reflected that supports for the 3,000-lb. bronze instrument have weakened to the point where safety was compromised, making replacement of the old wooden beams essential.

St Paul Bell Tower, Wellesley — St. Paul Catholic Church is covered in scaffolding during repair work. Photo by Duncan Brown.

Work to get the bell back into tolling shape is underway. Scaffolding has gone up around the St. Paul bell tower so that the team from Aniceto Historical Restorations out of Milford can replace badly deteriorated wood framing that supports the bell; repair crumbling sections of the bell tower’s masonry; and repair the parapet. A crane will be brought in to lift the bell while new beams are put in place. The church may still be accessed through the main doors during construction.

“I am thrilled that St. Paul Parish is able to undertake this important project, which is being made possible by the generosity of our wonderful community. We look forward to the day when we can proudly ring the bell at St. Paul Church once again,” said Rev. Jim Laughlin in an email. Laughlin is recovering from injuries sustained in the spring when, as a pedestrian, he was hit by a vehicle. Although it will be some time before he can return to ministry, the pastoral staff including Rev. Bryan Hehir have things bell in hand. (Sorry, not sorry for the pun.)

An inscription on the bell notes that it was donated to the church in 1926 by Salvatore DeFazio and family. The DeFazio family is still a contributing force to be reckoned with around town. Salvatore’s great-grandson and Wellesley resident Tory DeFazio in a phone interview said soon after the church opened in 1916, Salvatore promised the pastor that he would donate a bell. Pastor Edward Welch held him to it. “It took my great-grandfather about ten years to raise the money, but he did it,” said DeFazio, owner of the Windsor Press in Wellesley Hills, a Wellesley’s Wonderful Weekend committee member, and a past president of the Wellesley Historical Society

St. Paul church, Wellesley — Crumbling sections of the parapet, covered with protective mesh so that bits don’t break off and fall during construction, will be replaced as part of the project. The Celtic cross will be temporarily removed during work.

Total repair costs are expected to be over $485k. The parish has obtained a short-term loan from the Archdiocese of Boston for up to 75% of the budget. Income from St. Paul’s leasing of the school building to Star Academy will be helpful to cover part of the project, however, the St. Paul community has been called on to help repay the loan. You don’t have to be a church member to chip in, so if you enjoy hearing the peal of church bells, or just like the idea of preserving a part of Wellesley’s history, don’t be shy about contributing to the St. Paul Bell Tower Fund.

Once repairs are complete, those who have been sauntering to mass, unprompted by the bell to quicken their pace, will lose their excuse to slide into the pews after the first, “Lord, hear our prayer.”

You know who you are.

The Wellesley aqueduct bathrooms at Hunnewell Field have landed

June 25, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The long-awaited replacement for the bathrooms along the Cochituate Aqueduct at Hunnewell Field in Wellesley have arrived. More work is needed before they are open for business, but it looks like we’re most of the way there (we’ll be getting an update this coming week).

We very much look forward to the ~~ribbon~~ toilet paper cutting ceremony.

aqueduct bathroom — Photo courtesy of MC

Natural Resources Commission Director Brandon Schmitt and NRC Chair Jay McHale have given updates at public meetings this month somewhat confidently assuring that the bathrooms were really on their way this month or next.

As Community Preservation Committee Chair Barbara McMahon told Town Meeting back in fall of 2020, before Town Meeting approved more than half a million dollars to fund the bathrooms, this project had been on the town’s radar for at least 16 years at that point (We’ve included a couple of slides from that presentation below, outlining the project’s history until that point.)

The town has had many starts and stops on this project, which have been intertwined with efforts to get bathrooms installed at the Hunnewell Track & Field complex as well (that effort continues, with a 10-unit bathroom/concession stand combo the latest iteration).

Proposals for the aqueduct bathroom have included using a portable trailer and shipping container model, but a pre-cast concrete style won out.

The plumbers have now done their thing and the bathroom facility has been installed.

We’ll refrain from doing a “first look” post on the bathrooms, as we often do with restaurants and other new facilities. This will be better experienced in private.

restroom trees hunnewell field wellesley — Former Hunnewell fields bathroom along the aqueduct

aqueduct bathroom old — Bathroom getting demolished in spring of 2021

bathroom history — Bathroom history presented to 2020 Fall Town Meeting

Hunnewell School in Wellesley opens doors for a final farewell

June 17, 2022 by Deborah Brown 4 Comments

There’s something special about the elementary school years, a time when kids learn to work and play well with others, not run with scissors, and absorb concepts of language, literacy, and numbers. The building where so much growth takes place looms large to its young students. But as we heard over and over during Wednesday’s Farewell to Hunnewell event, “It looks so much smaller now.” If you’ve ever visited your former grade school, you understand. There are so many memories squeezed into those K-5 classrooms, it hardly seems possible that the walls can contain them all.

Hunnewell School, Wellesley — My tour companions, Hunnewell graduates Duncan Brown and Grace Seaborn, pose for one last picture outside the Hunnewell sign, an iconic photo-op spot known to all of the school’s students.

The open house gave current and former students, their families, and community members one last chance to visit classrooms before Hunnewell, built in 1938, is razed and replaced with a new 76,500 sq. ft. 18-classroom school slated to open in early 2024. Superintendent David Lussier told me at the event that fencing will go up around the school within days, marking the area as a construction zone. Staff and students will be divvied up among other schools under a swing space plan come fall. More on the school construction plans.

As I wandered the halls where I spent so little time volunteering back when my kids were at Hunnewell, a pack of excited friends darted past. “To the music room! Run!” When their school is going down, who’s going to tell the kids they can’t run in the halls if they feel like it? Not me.

Outside, I bumped into a trio of young men who I once could have named by spotting them across a crowded playground. No more. These were now college students, stopping by to remember the old days. Lifelong friends, said the mom of one of the guys. Hunnewell tends to have that effect on people.

I looked around for my tour companions, who had long since lost patience with my frequent stops to talk to old friends. A quick phone call gave me the predictable response. “We’re playing on the playground,” they said. Of course they were. Some things never change.