Building Commission

Hands Over High School Expansion To Town

By John Voket

The Public Building and Site Commission voted unanimously September 25 to turn the Newtown High School expansion project over to the town, more than a year after students began occupying the addition.

Commissioners acknowledged that there would still be a handful of loose ends to tie up related to repairs to hardware under warranty or other aspects of the project that remain unresolved, but the project was for all intents and purposes complete.

According to Mark Schweitzer, a representative for the Morganti Group who attended the meeting, about a dozen items are left to resolve, including a leak in the new cafetorium and a problem that has developed in the gym with some of the retractable basketball hoops.

Among the incomplete items on the punch list were:

*Fire doors that were installed at a multipoint hallway junction called “the propeller,” which were not accepted by the fire marshal. Mr Schweitzer said replacements were ordered and expected to be installed in about a week.

*A noisy light fixture in the greenhouse classroom is still being investigated. It cannot be replaced because the warranty was voided after the light was moved from its original installation point.

*Reworking some duct work

*Creating an earthen berm to prevent water seepage into areas of a new rear parking lot. That work is expected to be completed as soon as this week.

*Repair or replacement of carpeting that is coming up in the F-wing elevator.

*Repair various leaks in the F-wing.

*Caulking joints in the computer lab, and a joint under the interior walkway “bridge.”

*Replacing an out-of-warranty mixing valve in an eye wash station.

*Continuing to troubleshoot an expansion module failure in the fire panel system that has intermittently caused propped interior fire doors to close and latch.

*Determining why a retractable basketball hoop in the new gym is hanging up an automated room separator that rises and lowers to split the gym for separate activities.

*Painting and replacing fixtures called “clouds” in the cafetorium that were damaged by a roof leak.

*Hooking up dishwashers in the science lab that were installed but never coupled to electrical and plumbing conduits.

Work At Hawley

In other news, the commissioners approved tapping a modest budget for Phase Zero work at Hawley School, to conduct “destructive testing” on mantels above windows in the 1948 section of the building that appear to be failing because of water invasion.

Charles Boos of Kaestle Boos Associates told the commissioners that during some preliminary inspections some of the bricks were loose or became disconnected when they were manipulated. He said the testing would likely occur in the next couple of weeks.

Mr Boos also delivered to the commission a projected bid document production and bidding schedule for boiler replacement and heating system work set to be done next summer. The project manager said he anticipates design development documents to be submitted to the panel for review on or around October 23, with other local approvals being sought the week of November 5.

Anticipated delivery of construction documents to the commission would occur by November 27, with anticipated bidding schedule completion by the second week of January. Following the opening of bids, Mr Boos said there would be a two-week vetting period for the lowest qualified bidder, with contract approvals being targeted for around February 5.

In a final item of business, Commission Chairman Robert Mitchell said a residential property next to Hawley School was put back on the market recently, and he sought and received a motion to re-enter into negotiations to try and acquire the property, which also contains a residential home.

Mr Mitchell said after the meeting, if the town is successful in securing the property, a new traffic system could be designed to help ease vehicle flow in and out of the school grounds on the west side of the school.