Conservation Panel Endorses 5/6 School Plan

By Andrew Gorosko

The Conservation Commission has approved the stormwater drainage plans for the proposed Grade 5/6 public school complex at Fairfield Hills, said Conservation Official C. Stephen Driver.

In a 5-to-0 vote January 10, commission members endorsed the construction plans concerning stormwater drainage and a minor wetlands infringement.

If those plans should change, the school system would have to return to the Conservation Commission for further review, Mr Driver said.

The stormwater drainage plans constitute an “admirable job” in terms of protecting the water quality of Deep Brook, a trout stream northeast of the site which serves as a trout hatchery, according to Mr Driver. Trout require clear, cold water to survive.

Mr Driver said he expects that two large “particle separators,” which are included in the stormwater drainage system, would be well maintained to protect the water quality of Deep Brook. The devices trap sediments, including sand and gravel, to prevent them from entering streams and creating turbidity.

One of the two devices would be connected to the proposed stormwater drainage structures. The other device would be connected to existing drainage lines at Fairfield Hills.

Mr Driver said he expects that water quality in Deep Brook would improve due to the presence of the proposed elaborate drainage system.

A series of segmented silt detention and water retention basins proposed for the school grounds would be dredged after school construction is completed, and then dredged periodically, as needed, to ensure a clean stormwater drainage flow into the trout brook, Mr Driver said. The basins would be fenced off to prevent public access.

The stormwater control plans for the school site are a significant improvement over a previous design for the property, according to Mr Driver.

Besides stormwater control, the plans call for the extensive protection of natural features from erosion and sedimentation problems during construction. 

The school complex is proposed for a town-owned site near the intersection of Wasserman Way and Old Farm Road, now occupied by Watertown Hall, a former workers’ dormitory at the closed state psychiatric institution.

The almost $34 million school construction project is proposed to alleviate crowding in the public schools. A referendum vote on the proposal is planned for late spring.

In another land use approval for the proposed Grade 5/6 school, Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members January 4 modified town zoning regulations to allow the construction of a school which is taller than would have previously been allowed.