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The renovation plan calls for demolishing the two-story portion of the Hinsdale school, repaving the parking lot and driveways and construction a one-story classroom buiding on the Williams Avenue side of the building
lessPhoto: Hearst Connecticut Media FileThe renovation plan calls for demolishing the two-story portion of the Hinsdale school, repaving the parking lot and driveways and construction a one-story classroom buiding on the Williams Avenue side of the
... more
The renovation plan calls for demolishing the two-story portion of the Hinsdale school, repaving the parking lot and driveways and construction a one-story classroom buiding on the Williams Avenue side of the building
lessThe renovation plan calls for demolishing the two-story portion of the Hinsdale school, repaving the parking lot and driveways and construction a one-story classroom buiding on the Williams Avenue side of the
... moreWINSTED — Members of the Planning & Zoning Commission continued to fine-tune their concerns surrounding the site plan for renovation of the Mary P. Hinsdale School during a public hearing earlier this week.
Voters approved the school renovation project in September 2018 by a vote of 780-669. Winsted has applied for funding and grants to pay for the $17.43 million project, and the town still is waiting for legislative and State Bond Commission approval for that funding.
Monday night on Zoom, engineer Donald Smith Jr. and architect Paul Jorgensen from Silver Petrucelli Architects reviewed the project, using maps of the property, the existing school building and its proposed addition. Superintendent of Schools Melony Brady-Shanley also attended to answer questions, along with landscape architect Stephen Wing.
“We are also appearing with the Inland Wetlands Commission for a hearing this week,” Smith said. “Our request for a variance on the (Hinsdale) school sign was denied by the ZBA, so we have to come back with a new one for that.”
Smith is also requesting a variance for the required buffer zone around the school; regulations dictate that it must be 35 feet, but some areas are less than that. That variance, Smith said, is being discussed with the Zoning Board of Appeals.
In response to some of P&Z’s requests, Smith said, he has added a set of stairs between the school and the Hinsdale Avenue parking lot, where there is a drop, for employees and parents dropping off or picking up their children.
An Eversource transformer has to be replaced, Smith said, and the new one must be 10 feet from the building. “Right now it’s five feet from the building, but the legal distance is supposed to be 10 feet. We’ll get some landscaping done around it, whatever the power company will allow,” he said. “But it’s an electric transformer. It has to be there.”
Camouflaging large areas of heating and cooling equipment located on the roof of the renovated school building has been a point of concern for commission members, who want to be sure neighbors around the building see as little of it as possible.
During his presentation, Jorgensen, the architect with Silver Petrucelli, said locating that equipment as close to the center of the building, then placing screening around it that matches the color of the building, will make a difference with visibility.
“The first unit on the existing building is eight feet high above the roof surface, but we’ve located it in the center, so you see it when you drive in, but then it’s not as visible,” Jorgensen said. “Screens look better than the unit itself, so we can coordinate a louver-type screen, to allow air to flow in. They’re usually set up approximately four feet (around the unit) away, which also allows for air flow and a service area inside.”
Jorgensen said the biggest issue with screening these roof units is the cost. “Our biggest concern is the budget,” he said. “Roof screens are very expensive, and right now the project is in a cost-cutting mode. We’re trying to find elements to make sure our budget is intact. ... The current pandemic is throwing the whole process for a bit of a loop right now.”
Jorgensen said costs for equipment and labor vary. “Some costs are very tight, and some are escalating,” he said.
P&Z Chairman George Closson encouraged Jorgensen to be flexible. “Come up with something that’s cost-effective,” he said. “These things (roof units) aren’t pretty, and over time, the elements affect how they look.”
Commission member Peter Marchand wanted to know what kind of noise the roof units would make, and asked whether they could be shielded if they were too loud.
“I don’t know what the noise level is, but they’re centered on the roof, as far away from the property line as we can get them,” Jorgensen said. “I can ask the mechanical engineer about the noise.”
Landscape architect Stephen Wing reviewed changes to a type of tree that will be planted around the school.
“We’ve swapped out some of the maples that are a globe-headed tree with the Armstrong maple. They’re very columnar (in shape), and given a fair shot, they can grow 50 to 70 feet tall but only about 15 feet wide,” he said. “The tree’s profile is very narrow when it’s young, and as it matures, it can be (trimmed) to eliminate light interference.”
The commission asked that Wing provide the school building committee and Brady-Shanley with a tree maintenance information packet.
“We can do that,” Wynn said. “I have my own experience with post-construction issues. These maples are tough. They’re well-suited to the site conditions, soils and moisture, and once they’re settled, they should do fine without any care.”
Closson complimented Brady-Shanley on her efforts to improve the public school grounds overall. “I know what Melony has done since she’s been here. It’s been a huge improvement,” he said.
“We’ll be happy to take care of (the new trees),” Brady-Shanley said.
The hearing was continued until Sept. 28. “We can make a determination (at that hearing), hopefully,” Closson said.
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Hinsdale School plan hearing continued to Sept. 28 - Torrington Register Citizen
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