Date: Thu 27-Jul-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

library-bids-addition-

Full Text:

Library Bids Come In Under $4 Million

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

Construction bids for the planned $4 million expansion and renovation of the

Cyrenius H. Booth Library have been received and they "are right on the mark"

according to the architect in charge of the project.

The town's Public Building and Site Committee met Tuesday night and

recommended that the project proceed. But exactly which construction firm will

be awarded the contract has not yet been determined. Officials have to analyze

the bids, including eight alternate proposals, to determine who is the low

bidder and whether all of the requirements of the bidding process were

satisfied. References for the low bidders also must be checked.

"We expect to have an answer late this week," said Bruce Tuthill of the

architectural firm King & Tuthill in Avon. Mr Tuthill, Newtown Finance

Director Benjamin Spragg and Frank Krasnickas, chairman of the Public Building

& Site Commission, supervised the opening of the bids at 11 am on Friday, July

21, in the old courtroom at Edmond Town Hall.

Eight general contractors bid on the project. The apparent low bidders were

Building Technologies, Inc., of Prospect, which had a base bid of $3.1 million

and Gar-San Corporation of Watertown, with a base bid of $3,129,000. The

companies also bid on eight alternate proposals which included such items as

plants and trees for landscaping, providing a slate roof instead of

architectural tile, and replacing existing building sash.

The base bid does not include architectural fees, furniture, computers and

other supplies needed for the new building but Mr Tuttle said he is optimistic

that the total proposed project will not exceed the original $4 million

estimate. At a town meeting last December voters agreed to spend $250,000 to

prepare the working drawings needed for the bid process.

Mr Tuthill said his firm had estimated the construction bids would come in at

about $3 million and had added a $300,000 contingency. "So we're right where

we should be," he said. "It looks like about $50,000 over the estimate but the

estimate was done three years ago and before we had to increase the parking

lot to 80 cars."

The bid opening brought sighs of relief to library supporters. It was because

of the experience of the town of Easton, where the bids for a proposed library

project came in far above what the voters had approved, that Newtown officials

decided to go through the bid process before bringing the entire project to

the voters for approval.

"This is great," Library Director Janet Woycik said. "It shows that our

architect did an excellent job estimating what the project will cost."

One of the most interesting parts of the bidding was the response the general

contractors made to the proposal that the library be moved from the building

while the renovation work is done. Under that alternate, the general

contractor would be responsible for keeping the structure heated, to prevent

the pipes from freezing, while the work is accomplished. Bids were spread over

a range of $70,000 - Building Technologies said this alternate would deduct

$20,000 from the base bid; Brennan Construction Company of Shelton said it

would cost $50,000 more.

Two weeks ago the Board of Selectman authorized First Selectman Bob Cascella

to enter into an agreement with the state on behalf of the town and the

library. The library has been awarded a $350,000 construction grant from the

state provided that the town agree to build a library addition which meets

state guidlines for the size of the population that it serves. The proposed

project meets those guidelines.

Before the project can proceed it must be approved by the Legislative Council

and sent to a town meeting for a vote. Town officials also must decide whether

they can proceed since Edwin Baumer, who lives next door to the library, has

filed two lawsuits and a Freedom of Information complaint against the Borough

Zoning Commission over the commission's action on the library project.