Fairfield Woods Middle School Funding Request For Proposed Modifications and Additions Presented By Fairfield Woods Building Committee January 27 th 2010 corrected 2-9-2010
Town of Fairfield, Connecticut Fairfield Woods Building Committee REPORT AND REQUEST FOR FUNDING January 27, 2010 The Fairfield Woods Building Committee has completed their review of Fairfield Woods Middle School, and hereby requests funding in the amount of $24,203,000 to complete the work necessary for increasing the capacity of Fairfield Woods Middle School to 825-840 students, to correct existing code deficiencies and to complete other necessary upgrades in the school as identified in an Existing Conditions Survey completed by the architect (Exhibit A). Pursuant to its charge, the Committee was authorized to plan and construct an annex or addition as recommended by the Middle School Feasibility Committee report and the Board of Education's adopted long term plan of ten to twelve classrooms and to consider and plan other limited space improvements as appropriate (Exhibit B). The Committee hired an architect, Randall Luther, of Tai Soo Kim Partners, and estimators, Ty Tregellas and Todd Moss of Turner Construction Co., obtained the existing conditions survey, reviewed the site and conducted numerous meetings to determine the best approach for meeting its charge. Several design options were considered, debated and revised before a final conceptual design was approved by the Committee on January 14, 2010 with the amount of this funding request approved January 21, 2010. The approved design, known as Option D, is illustrated in the attached Exhibit C. The work to be completed would include:
1) A two story addition that will allow moving the 7th grade to the second floor space presently occupied by the sixth grade, providing additional classrooms on the new upper floor. The first floor now occupied by the 8th grade would receive additional classroom space on the first floor of the addition. 2) A one story addition and extension of the first floor corridor to the unified arts area to join together the new two story addition to the unified arts area and also improve circulation. 3) In addition, two art rooms would be relocated in the one story addition, freeing up two classrooms for use by the sixth grade. The Committee reviewed two other alternative designs shown in Exhibits D and E. However the chosen design minimizes the site impact and bulk coverage and is the best design from an educational perspective, keeping the grades together, incorporating flexible space within each grade, and providing support for the team teaching concept. The sixth grade area will also be renovated by adding special education space and relocating the computer lab. Two existing boilers will be removed and the space converted into a new computer lab. Two other existing boilers will be replaced with two dual fuel high efficiency boilers of large enough capacity to serve the entire school including the newly created space discussed above. This portion of the project funding request amounts to $7,867,000. To accommodate the additional population, the existing cafeteria and kitchen must be expanded. A 4,116 sq ft. addition with associated renovations will be completed. The cost will be $1,481,000 (See Exhibit F for cost estimate). To accommodate the additional population, an additional Physical Education station is required. At present only the Gymnasium is large enough to undertake team activities, and an addition will be added providing a space large enough to accommodate team activities, as well as providing a much needed secondary passageway linking the music area to the 7th and 8th grade wing
which should help reduce crowding in the corridor adjacent the cafeteria. The cost will be $1,987,000. There are a number of areas through out the school which require attention to meet ADA code requirements, and other areas where minor renovations could free up additional space and improve efficiency. The cost to complete the minor renovations and code upgrades will be $1,284,000. The existing media center has areas that are not handicap accessible. Also, the presence of an upper/lower split area makes the media center less able to handle larger student groups. This becomes more of a problem with the additional student population. The media center will be renovated to correct these deficiencies and the adjacent nurse area which lacked sufficient examination space will be expanded. The cost to complete these changes will be $595,000. Fairfield Woods Middle School has no auditorium. Presently events such as concerts are held in the Gymnasium. When this occurs, the Gymnasium becomes unavailable for Physical Education before and after the event as folding chairs must be set up for use. For internal assemblies, the students typically sit on the floor. The Committee noted the numerous educational uses for the Auditorium (Exhibit G), noted that both Tomlinson and Roger Ludlowe Middle Schools have Auditoriums and that Fairfield Woods, once the above work is completed, would have the second largest middle school population. The Committee noted that the Education Specification adopted by the Board of Education (Exhibit H) calls for an Auditorium with a population of 840 students. The Committee also received substantial public comment in favor of adding an auditorium including educators, parents, the PTA, and representatives of the adjacent Fairfield Woods Library which may make use of an Auditorium. The Committee felt the curriculum could not be adequately and equivalently delivered without the addition of the auditorium, given that the two other middle schools have auditoriums. Consequently, the Committee believes strongly that
an auditorium is a necessary space improvement and must be included as part of this funding request. The cost will be $4,827,000. In addition to the above, there will be associated site work, such as relocating parking areas, landscaping, etc., estimated to cost $1,321,000. Soft costs for the above are identified in the attached conceptual estimate as prepared by Turner Construction. The soft costs are estimated at 25% of the total cost of the above additions and renovations. The soft costs total $4,841,000. The changes that will be made are as follows: net ten (10) new full size classrooms will be added; four (4) new smaller classrooms for use as Special Education, English as a Second Language, ISS and reading classrooms; two existing World Language classrooms will become a secondary guidance suite and a Special Education room; existing space above the original stage will be converted to become two 7th grade classrooms; an existing computer lab will become two new 6th grade Special Education classrooms; the boiler room will become the new computer lab; two new dual fuel high efficiency boilers will replace the four existing boilers; code upgrades will be made throughout the existing building; the nurse area will be expanded to include additional examination space; the Media center mezzanine level will be removed and the lower level raised to provide a larger single level floor space; the media center computer area will be revised to improve utilization; additional cafeteria space, kitchen space and a renovated faculty dining area will be provided; a new Auxiliary Gym will be built with an associated linking corridor; and,
a new Auditorium will be built. The total cost for this funding request is thus $24,203,000. This is in addition to the initial seed funding already approved of $250,000, which has been committed to the cost of completing the feasibility and conceptual design aspects of this project, and associated expenses. Respectfully requested, on behalf of the Fairfield Woods Building Committee, William J. Sapone William J. Sapone Chairman Fairfield Woods Building Committee William J. Sapone, Chairman Doreen Battimelli, Vice Chair Dan McKnight Richard Kornutik Victor DeMaria Jennifer Tierney Neil Fink Kim Marshall Chad Stewart
EXHIBIT A
EXHIBIT B
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