Updates from the project team and questions from some residents were shared during a public information session on Branford's next-generation Walsh Intermediate School (WIS) expansion project.

Among the next steps, project team will seek a town zoning variance to allow for a three-story, 45' high building addition in what is currently a residential zone where rooflines can't exceed 35 feet.

The next-generation WIS, described by Superintendent of Schools Hamlet Hernandez as a "flexible, aspirational" building, should support the town's grade 5 – 8 students for the next four to five decades.

The new school façade will incorporate most of the current brick exterior (constructed in 1972) melded with a windowed and phenolic (resin) panel façade. The panels are weather resistant, low cost, low maintenance, and energy efficient. The new façade continues its window-and-panel treatment as it turns the eastern corner, where the building will incorporate a glass window wall as part of the new three-story addition.  The main entrance will be located between the existing building and new addition, singled as the main entrance by its canopy and column treatment. Parent drop-off for students would take place at the front of the building.

The project's public info session, held at WIS on Feb. 6, was attended by about 40, including a handful of residents who live in the perimeter of the project area. The audience also included a mix of Board of Education (BOE) and Representative Town Meeting (RTM) members.

The project is currently in the design/development phase and on track to stay within the $88.2 million cost approved by the RTM in 2016; with the expectation that some $22 million of the cost would be reimbursed by state funding, creating a total price tag of about $60 million to Branford taxpayers.

That could change as the state legislature is now gearing up to address new education and capital improvement budget cuts recently proposed Gov. Dannell P. Malloy. Branford First Selectman James B. Cosgrove said the town will be keeping an eye to Hartford as the WIS project continues to move forward.

"Once we get a better understanding of what's going to happen this legislative session, [if] it was taking a negative impact on expected state reimbursement, we'd have to assess what that impact will have on the town," said Cosgrove.

And, while Branford has met the state's reimbursement grant application deadline (June 2016) for the WIS project, the anticipated $22 million grant commitment isn't secured until the state Bonding Commission completes its review, expected in late June 2017. Cosgrove said town will also be watching the grant commitment process.

Any additional value engineering to the project, or other financially-driven changes which may be required, would be added before the construction bidding process opens in early 2018, Cosgrove noted. In the meantime, the project will proceed on schedule, he said.

"So we'll have plenty of time to realize what that impact would be," said Cosgrove. "We'll be moving along, but certainly cognizant of what's happening."

The project is currently in the design/development phase. By December 2017, construction documents are expected to be complete and put out to bid, with bids returned mid-March of 2018.  Phase One of the project will begin in the summer of 2018, when crews will undertake abatement of the front eastern corner of the existing WIS building (former art and tech areas) while the building is clear of students.

Then, in the fall of 2018, work can begin on a steel-structured, three-story new addition which will become the heart of the next-generation WIS academic spaces. The school will including enclosed, windowed classrooms with single-sex toilets and a common area in each classroom.

Classrooms for the lower school (grades 5 – 6) will be on the second floor and classrooms for the upper school (grades 7 – 8) on the third floor. The third floor will also include design and technical education spaces.

The new addition will spread eastward, into the current main parking lot and tennis court areas. In addition to adding windowed classrooms and rooftop sky lights drawing natural light into the center of the building, the new addition will have a two-story media center with an eastern-facing glass "curtain" wall.

The school's first floor will also include the new central offices for Branford Public Schools (currently housed at 1111 Main St.). Once complete, the new addition will meld with renovations and changes to the existing WIS building. The first floor will also house the school's main administrative office and will feature a central staircase/common space. The school's new cafeteria, new auditorium and stage and renovated gymnasium and pool will also be on the first floor.

While next-generation WIS will not be built with solar or thermal renewable energy installed, the entire project is being designed with the goal of a creating a LEED Silver-certified "green" building.

Construction work on the three-story addition is anticipated to be completed in December 2019. Following the holiday break, students would transition over to the new construction from the existing WIS building. Renovation work would then get underway on the old building, with an anticipated renovation completion date of December 2020.

Renovations to the existing WIS building include removing the current media center and classroom areas. The back of the building will be revised to become accessible for loading and student bus drop offs, using a ring road that enters the property from the eastern side (currently the exit-only side) on Damascus Road. The ring road continues in a loop to exit on the western side. A new, rear parking area will also help the school to eventually accommodate between 301 to 322 vehicle parking spaces.

Questions from residents included what hardship the project team is facing that would allow for a zoning variance for a new addition that's ten feet higher than what's currently allowed. Due to poor soil in the existing western and southern fields, wetlands to the south, and the need for safe traffic circulation during construction, the position of the new addition is restricted to a portion of the eastern side of the parcel, requiring a three-story building to accommodate education specification needs in order to fit in the available space.

A Patrick Lane resident was concerned about parking during what could be three years of construction. He said vehicles often park on Patrick Lane during overflow events. Although contingencies will be made for parking during the construction periods, it will be "difficult" to avoid some issues with parking, said a representative for the project's construction management company, Fusco Corp.  The eastern parking lot will be "out of commission," he said, adding that additional parking will likely be added to the small lot fronting the softball field, and a temporary road will be added during construction.

In addition, events will likely be removed from WIS to other town buildings, including Branford High School, to diminish parking issues for events during construction.

Leslie Schwanfelder, who lives on abutting property (behind the tennis courts) raised concerns about plantings to screen her home from the view of the proposed loading zone and was reassured that the dead trees that are on the edge of the property, including those stretching along her 450-foot driveway leading in from Damascus Road, will be replaced with plantings, trees and a berm to reduce visual impact.  She also asked what the new addition sideline setback would be and was told that, while only a minimum of 20 feet was required, the new addition will have a setback of approximately 50 feet from the property line.

Others had questions about construction noise impacting student learning. Construction will be managed so that work which could exceedingly interfere with student learning would be scheduled at other times.  As for what hours construction will generally take place, the answer is most likely from 7 a.m. to about 3:30 p.m. daily.

A resident asked if student learning would be impacted when renovation begins on spaces currently incorporating the WIS music and physical education spaces.

"There will be disruption, but we'll still be able to have PE and have music classes [that will be] adequate and comprehensive," said Hernandez.

Another question raised, more than once, was with regard to the capacity of the new auditorium, which will have maximum seating for 472 – too small, said some. Hernandez said that number was selected based on an enrollment study updated two years ago. The study forecasts WIS enrollment of 944 total students. To meet budget requirements and education specifications required for state grant reimbursement, auditorium seating needs to accommodate half the total enrollment, or 472 students.

"As we try to solve it, we are at the intersection of education specifications, budget and what the state tells us we can do to maximize reimbursement," said Hernandez.

Hernandez also said the seating capacity allows the auditorium to accommodate two grade levels at once, and added WIS will have "...other spaces being part of the equation when we engage families" for events exceeding auditorium seating.

"I think it's important to keep in mind the school will have not only an auditorium, but it will have cafeteria -- as a principal, that was a wonderful place for parents to come and to bring people together – and also will have a gymnasium," said Hernandez.

At the close of the information session, Public Building Commission chairman Peter Banca told the audience the commission and project committee continue to welcome input from residents.

"We appreciate your care and concern," said Banca. "Just because the public outreach meeting is concluded does not mean that you cannot still express your thoughts or concerns to any one of us. Feel free. We welcome you to call First Selectman Cosgrove, Superintendent Hernandez, myself or any of the team at any time, and we'll be happy to talk to you."