New Lebanon School Design Options Unveiled

Photos: Architect Tai Soo Kim and models of the design schemes of New Lebanon School; Building Committee Chair Steve Walko; Option 2 building location; Option D; Option 1 building location. Credit: Barbara Heins.

Architects unveiled three design concepts to build a new New Lebanon School on Wednesday all of which appear to fly in the face of what was sought by the Greenwich Board of Selectmen.

When the board granted municipal improvement status for the project earlier this year it was with the understanding that the school on Mead Avenue would not be built in a ravine at the rear of the school property, and that construction would be done with students relocated off-site.

Tai Soo Kim Architects of Hartford presented four proposals — three separate designs, with one plan having two different construction timetables, in essence creating four different proposals. All of the plans have a building cost of $32.8 million to replace the school built in the 1950s. Two of the plans have an additional $2.1 million cost factored in if students are relocated off-site, to cover the cost for modular classrooms and for busing the children to those alternative locations.

All of the plans have the new building located behind the existing one story school, utilizing part of a ravine and woods at the rear of the property that’s closest to I-95.

The revised Option D would have a two-story classroom structure that would be connected to a three-story gymnasium/media center. Kim said Option D “does not have a cohesive community building effect.” Option D would have students relocated to modular classrooms off-site.

His staff then presented options that included a two-story structure that would be built while students continue to attend classes in the existing building. Once students are moved into the new school, the current building would be razed.

What is described as Option 2 is a two-story structure to be built in the ravine with a one-story extension covering part of the existing building. Architect Ryszard Szczypek said that option has two scenarios — relocating students for an 18-month period to construct the building in its entirety; or building the two-story structure first while students remain in the existing building. Once that’s completed, students would move into the new facility while the old one is razed and the one-story building is completed. That project would take 30 months to complete.

Selectman Drew Marzullo who is an ex-officio building committee member said all of the proposals presented Wednesday are not in compliance with what was recommended by the Board of Education and ultimately granted municipal improvement (MI) status by the Board of Selectmen. At the behest of the selectmen, the school board agreed not to have the building located in the ravine or the woods for environmental and safety reasons.

The selectmen previously have stated they prefer students be moved off-site during construction to minimize health and safety concerns for students. “This is in clear violation of the MI approval. It is in the ravine … and with the kids in school during construction,” Marzullo said. “With every one of these options we will have to revisit the MI, after the Board of Ed votes on it and moves it to us.”

All of the plans have a construction start time of June 2017 with a new school being completed by September 2018.

The New Lebanon School Building Committee is scheduled to meet at 8 p.m. Monday in the board room at the Board of Education headquarters to review the request for proposal to hire a construction manager and to answer any committee and community questions regarding the proposed design schemes. Questions and concerns can be emailed to nlbc@greenwich.k12.ct.us by Friday.

The community is expected to choose a design scheme at an 8 a.m. meeting at the Board of Ed headquarters on Nov. 18, according to committee Chairman Steve Walko.

Walko said that the detailed schematics of the plans will be posted “as soon as possible” on the Greenwich Public Schools website.