Seven Years After Project Was Tabled—

Expanding Hawley Improvements May Qualify Project For State Funds

By John Voket

An initial plan to replace the heating system and expand air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC) systems at Hawley School has blossomed into a multiphase proposal that would bring the entire facility up to contemporary code for fire and safety, as well as introducing energy-saving systems that could save the district money while likely qualifying Newtown for some state reimbursement for the work.

This news was floated to the Public Building and Site Commission (PBSC) on May 1 by Charles Boos and a team representing his company Kaestle Boos Associates, and CES — Consulting Engineering Services — which will be collaborating on the proposed work if all goes as planned.

PBSC Chair Robert Mitchell and members of his committee all appeared pleased to see how the companies are working to maximize the amount of work that could be done, while minimizing the amount of time areas of the building would be rendered inaccessible as work is being completed.

Mr Mitchell said the former plan to complete improvements to just the heating and air conditioning system horizontally, or one floor at a time, has been all but scrapped in favor of doing the work vertically, completing necessary work in each section of the facility from the top down.

The PBSC chairman also said that by utilizing crews and processes required to improve the HVAC systems, additional and important safety system work and accessibility issues can be addressed at the same time, saving money in the long run while qualifying the district for as much as 30 percent reimbursement from the state.

“We’re not just replacing an old boiler,” Mr Mitchell said. “We’re talking about some significant energy-efficiency improvements along with life safety improvements that could all qualify for payback from the state.”

Mr Mitchell added that while the amount of the reimbursement will not be known until a formal proposal to the state has been made and reviewed, a preliminary review of the plans has been met with positive response from state education officials.

“You never know what the state will accept, but our informal feedback is positive,” Mr Mitchell said, adding that he is waiting to schedule a formal presentation of the project with town officials including First Selectman Pat Llodra and members of the Legislative Council.

Site Survey Continuing

In the meantime Mr Boos and his firm will continue with plans to complete a site survey. That survey is expected to yield information about how the project can be phased to maximize savings while minimizing discomfort on Hawley staff and students that will result when various areas are under active construction.

“We’re still waiting to get a good handle on the [hazardous materials] removals, but we’re proceeding with the study on how to phase the work without shutting the entire building down,” he said.

The Hawley HVAC project, which failed to gain approval after borrowing was approved in 2005, has languished since then because the true projected costs were difficult to determine. A capital bonding initiative approved by taxpayers for $3.3 million in 2005 came before the Board of Finance when school officials requested to increase the appropriation by another $2.1 million.

That added appropriation was denied, putting the project in limbo as the HVAC system and the heating plant at the Church Hill Road school continued to deteriorate. But the delay may have bought the necessary time the PBSC and its current consultants needed to begin formulating a more comprehensive project.

Mr Boos presented a proposal that would bundle other improvements that are now or will be required related to handicap access and safety systems into the work needed to improve the HVAC operations and efficiency.

“The goal is to only do the renovations once,” Mr Boos told the commissioners, who are charged with acting as a supervisory and support team for all public building projects. Mr Mitchell said, for example, that conduits to run wiring or infrastructure for safety systems could be reimbursable.

But those conduits may be built to accommodate added ductwork or piping for the HVAC system, which on its own would not be reimbursable. So he has asked consultants to determine every application where added HVAC work might be merged with reimbursable construction to help offset the overall cost and minimize disruption.

Mr Boos said that if work can be done concurrently to make areas of the building under construction handicap accessible, that part of the work will likely be reimbursed as well.

Bringing In ‘Fresh Eyes’

Mr Mitchell said by bringing in Kaestle Boos, which also managed the recent middle school roof project, it offered the chance to look at the Hawley needs “with fresh eyes.” As a result, the firm pitched the vertical versus horizontal idea.

“The original plan was floor by floor, but this plan is more constructible,” he said during the PBSC meeting May 1. Referring to the preliminary fact-finding and reporting as Phase Zero, Mr Boos reviewed the conditions and code analysis report that has been completed.

In addition, Mr Boos told the commission that by installing sprinklers throughout the building, some of the cost will be offset with long-term insurance savings. And adding insulation while walls are open could also bring long-term savings, he said.

Brian Wetzel and Ron Bathrich from CES recommended that the HVAC renovation begin with replacing the current failing dual-fuel boiler with two high efficiency gas-fired hot water systems.

“That way if you lose one boiler, the other will give you 70 to 80 percent heating capacity throughout the entire building,” Mr Bathrich said, adding that the possibility of keeping the system dual-fuel could be accommodated.

Another option could involve putting gas-fired air conditioning units on the roof. The optimal plan includes climate control capability in every individual classroom.

The options as proposed will also require an upgrade to the school’s electrical service.

“The good news is, this school has the space to do these renovations,” Mr Bathrich said. “It is an easily modifiable structure.”

Mr Boos said that he expects Phase Zero to be completed by the end of June, and if the project meets with town approval, bids to begin the work could be solicited as early as January 2013.

“We just need to bring an informed decision to the town, whether it’s $4 million, $6 million, or $8 million, we need to know what it is,” Mr Mitchell told the consultants.

A copy of the Hawley Code Analysis and Existing Conditions Report can be reviewed at www.newtownbee.com.