NEWTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE

MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING

PUBLIC HEARING ON Updated Newton North HigH School Feasibility Study Final Report

NOVEMBER 17, 2003

DAY MIDDLE SCHOOL, AUDITORIUM, 7:00 P.M.

PRESENT: Chairperson Anne Larner, Vice-Chairperson Susan Albright, Gail Glick, Patricia Kellogg, Marc Laredo, Nancy Levine, Leslie Schneider, Dori Zaleznik, Mayor Cohen, Annie Levine, student representative - Newton North High School

ALSO PRESENT: School Committee elect Reenie Murphy and Susan Heyman

CALL TO ORDER

Chairperson Anne Larner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. She outlined the process for tonight's meeting and noted that the Committee will hear all speakers and there would be no time limit imposed. The purpose of tonight's meeting is to hear from the public. While they will not engage in back-and-forth dialogue, they will attempt to answer simple questions for clarification purposes.

Superintendent Jeffrey Young provided a brief overview of the five options currently on the table, as well as a budget summary showing the total cost of the projects and total cost to Newton after School Building Assistance Program (SBAP) reimbursement:

Option ABC1 - total project costs (including synthetic field) $86,828,500

cost to Newton $36,563,074

Option C2 - total project costs (including synthetic field) $93,176,500

cost to Newton $42,911,074

Option D1- total project costs (including synthetic field) $87,621,500

cost to Newton $37,356,074

Option D2- total project costs (including synthetic field) $94,186,500

cost to Newton $43,921,074

New High - total project costs (including synthetic field) $106,136,000

School cost to Newton $55,870,574

Public Comment

Susan Rosenzweig, Special Education (SPED) Dept. Chair at Newton North, spoke of how flexibility and smaller learning spaces are key to their program, which continues to grow and change, in order to meet the needs of the population. Students have increasingly substantial needs in the areas of occupational and physical therapy, speech and language instruction, and individual and group therapy. Some utilize very expensive equipment that travels with them for communication purposes. Fortunately, they are bringing many students back from private placement because of these programs, but adequate space is a necessity. Finally, the need for appropriate storage for files and materials is also important.

Sandra Truant, Fine Arts Dept. Chair at Newton North, talked about the current space for their program. Its location makes it a cut-through for other classes, which on one hand can be disruptive, but on the other exposes students who might not otherwise have been interested in art. She recommends Option C2 vs. D1, because in the latter they would be in temporary facilities for more than a year during construction and then isolated from the rest of the school, which is educationally unsound. In addition, the light would not be a northern exposure, which is desirable for studio art.

Carol Kerrissey, Guidance Dept. Chair at Newton North, addressed the Committee on behalf of her department. The four major components of their space involve individual counselor offices, college career center, records office, and department head's office/reception area, all of which must be retained in order for them to function properly. In addition, the location of their space is equally important. Currently, the counselors' offices are dispersed throughout the building rather than being clustered, which they feel is a preferable model. Since they are often the first experience many people have with the school for registration, the Dept. Head's office should be near the entrance of the school and adjacent to the records' office.

Molly Gadenz, guidance counselor at Newton North, talked about the layout of their department making them unique among high schools. Being scattered around the building allows them to blend in with classrooms and other offices and increases their efficiency. It allows them to become a more integrated and accepted part of a student's high school experience. They believe the suite model

has a more clinical approach, which some students do not find approachable.

Dan Simone, guidance counselor at Newton North, spoke about the inefficiency and impracticality of shared conference space and the fact that the design in C2 does not meet the needs of their department. At times they have numerous conferences occurring simultaneously, so sharing space is not practical.

T. J. Williams, Athletics Director at Newton North, talked about how North's program is one of the largest in the Commonwealth, with over 1/3 of the population actively involved in sports and 600+ participating per season. If they are going to lose some field space, synthetic turf is imperative in order to be used for multiple sports to maximize opportunities. This way the fields can. In addition to the extra-curricular activities, the fields are used for physical education classes, which serve every student in the school. These areas are their classrooms without walls. Passage time between classes also plays a factor in where the fields are located. Emergency vehicle access is critical and the closer to the building the fields are situated the better. Since safety is of utmost importance, placement near the Career & Technical Education automotive facility, where cars and emissions are prevalent, is a concern. Finally, the loss of teaching stations is not something they would like to see. He concluded his remarks by noting that there are many positive gains to be had with the renovations, but stressed the need to consider things carefully in planning. Option C2 is the one that best meets their department's needs.

Helen Smith, English teacher at Newton North, talked about the need for balance between cohesiveness and decentralization and of density and expansive interior space. The building must support a dynamic core and extra-curricular program. The current building was designed to house mini-schools within a house system, which makes the larger school more humane. Main Street is the connection. In the renovations, she does not believe the principal's office needs to be the focal entrance point, because the major strength of the school has been collaboration vs. concentrated authority. In addition, the plans do not appear to encourage staff from various departments to work together. One example is the location of the entire Career & Tech Ed. Department on the first floor. Option D1, with its t-shaped design, fails to allow for the type of community that has developed in their school. The hallway is too long and narrow and there are no small gathering areas. The notion of a multi-level town square does not allow people to see one another and she has concerns about its impression on the physically challenged. She hopes they will avoid the shopping mall look design.

Amy Winston, physical ed. teacher at Newton North, spoke in favor of Option C2, because it is cohesive, comprehensive, and community centered. It keeps the library, cafeteria, Little Theater, and common spaces at the heart of the building. Structurally it totally demolishes Main St., which is leaking, moldy and in need of replacement. Option D1 sits next to a hill on wetland and she believes they need to consider these issues more fully.

Jonathan Bassett, History Dept. Chair at Newton North, talked about the importance of Main St. and how well it currently works in the building, because everyone in the school has to pass through this area throughout the day. He fears that Option D1 will destroy this culture, similar to what suburban subdivisions and strip malls have done to communities. Option D1 spreads the population out over three different wings, with no central comparable thoroughfare. By contrast, C2 preserves the concept of Main St. and executes it properly.

Andy Barza, senior at Newton North and member of the School Council, talked about the issue of passing time between classes. It is currently very difficult to get to class on time within the five-minute allotment due to the size and population of the school. The new plans do not seem to address this problem. Main St. is the easiest and most direct thoroughfare and he does not believe a vertical design can be as efficient. In looking at what plan to choose, he hopes they will consider all the current problems in the building and decide which option best ameliorates these issues.

Tyler Summers, junior at Newton North and member of the School Council, hopes that the facade of the building will change from its current institutional look to something more aesthetically pleasing.

Thomas Foote, junior at Newton North, spoke on behalf of the Student Faculty Administration (SFA), which endorses Option C2. They feel this plan will best preserve the essence of their school in terms of centrality of core spaces, recreating the spirit of Main St., cohesive design, and accessibility to people who are physically challenged. In contrast, Option D1's Main St. is not wide enough to accommodate a smooth flow of traffic and students could be delayed in passing time in one of the numerous "finger" corridors.

Adam Brown, Theater Director at Newton North, spoke about the lack of space for their program, which produces 11 annual productions to approximately 8,000-10,000 patrons. There is very limited storage and rehearsal space. He is excited about the renovation but torn between the options. Option C2 brings them into the central location of the building, but does not provide sufficient storage and backstage space and, in fact, requires walking outside the building to cross from stage left to right. Option D1 provides better space, but isolates them from the rest of the school. He suggested a C2 "plus" option, which would morph a piece of space from D1 onto C2. This would then provide a proper backstage area, where scenery could be designed and stored and would enhance the overall music program.

Liz Craig-Olins, English teacher at Newton North and member of the School Council, stated that the renovations must honor the individualized education that is currently offered to students. Staff has expressed concern about the notion of waiting to design the interior spaces of the building in the fear that if this is not budgeted now it may be lost later. In terms of flexible space, this has to mean more than just movable walls. Each department's requirements are different and equally important. She urged them to be careful about designing the school from the outside in and that they keep in mind the educational program throughout the process.

Brenda Keegan, English Dept. Chair at Newton North, is pleased to be having conversations about the importance of small learning spaces and one-to-one or small group instruction. The administrative team at Newton North, having had extended discussions with the staff and architects, are unanimously in favor of Option C2. Having heard Adam Brown's comments tonight, she would encourage them to consider C2 "plus."

Deborah Holman, history teacher at Newton North, spoke of the critical importance of a library to an academic community. It is the hub and information center of the school. Its location in a primary area is important. While both Options C2 and D1 have it well placed in the design, C2 is slightly more centrally situated. The librarians would also like to preserve the original square footage, most of which has understandably been taken up by the needs of special education.

Liana Kish, English teacher at Newton North, also supports Option C2 and emphasized that smaller learning spaces are essential components to a successful school community. She stressed the need for the costs for these spaces to be taken into account.

Anatol Zukerman submitted an alternate design to the Committee, which he also presented to the Newton North High School Citizens' Task Force in March. The proposal calls for selling a strip of land along Walnut St. and Elm Rd., with pre-approved mix-use buildings, which would contain retail space on the first floor, residential units on the second and third floors and an underground parking garage. He calculates that this would bring the City of Newton approximately $15 million dollars, which could be used for funding the school project. His materials present the details of the design and costs for his version of the renovation.

Jane Frantz, member of the Newton North School Council, addressed the issue of placement of the main office. Many parents feel that the current location of the office is in an inaccessible and remote location. While all of the options move the area closer to a central location, D1 creates a physical separation between the office and teachers and students, giving an institutional feel to the design. In addition, D1 produces separations between academics, arts, and athletics. She also feels that this option limits flexibility for future renovation to the wings. Therefore, she supports Option C2, which maintains the essential culture of the school.

Virginia Ghatas, science teacher at Newton North, spoke about her experiences during the construction of the current building. Staff spent a great deal of time making suggestions and working together to design the interior spaces. The ultimate product had little similarity to their plan, probably as a result of lack of sufficient funding. She urged the Committee and administration to keep this in mind as they move forward. She also spoke of an area on the site, which is constantly wet, dark, and slippery and hopes when choosing a footprint they will keep in mind the geography of the land.

Jennifer Huntington, Principal of Newton North, talked about the importance of Main St. It has to be configured so that it allows for a centrality of space where there can be unobtrusive vigilance by staff. Everything in their school is celebrated in this area and it is where their core values are acted out on a daily basis. She feels that the best option to replicate this is C2.

Steven Shufro, 20 Blithdale St., spoke to the Committee from the perspective of a neighbor. From a visual and traffic point of view, D1 is a more desirable option. It took nearly 10 years to work out the traffic and parking issues associated with the current building. His concerns about C1 are the potential reopening of Elm Road and the view of a three-story building so close to the street.

Rob McKane, 76 Otis St., addressed the Committee as a neighbor. He does not want to see a huge brick wall at the end of his street nor the possibility of reopening streets that have been closed and, thereby, creating a drag-way once again. The neighbors have to look at this site every day. He suggested modifying Option D1 to address the issues that have been raised by staff.

Michael Rudden, 26 Blithdale St., read a statement on behalf of the neighbors who live in the immediate vicinity of the school. Many are parents whose children have or currently attend Newton North and they are dedicated to providing the best program for students. Over the past 30 years, they have worked with the system to develop a fragile balance between the dynamics of a high school and the quality of life in the neighborhood and it is their desire to maintain this relationship. While their preference is a new school, it appears that Options C2 and D1 are the favored alternatives. Therefore, they would prefer D1, as it provides a new wing that is buffered from residents by the stadium and locates the main entrance on Lowell Ave., which would reduce parking and traffic on Elm Rd. If Option C2 is the preference of the Committee, they would like the footprint to be altered to increase the setback from Elm Rd. They would also ask that the main entrance be placed on Lowell Ave. in this option. He reminded the Committee that the wing along Elm Rd. was noted as a negative in three of the land planning & facilities development categories on the evaluation matrix.

Jim Flemming, Blithdale St., noted that the concept of community, which has been discussed repeatedly with regard to Main St., extends beyond the school building. While he has no children in the high school, he has attended Newton North's theater performances, taken adult education classes, and uses the gym. The high school is an integral part of the community at large. He urged the Committee to consider the impact on the neighborhood in their decision-making process.

Mark Kaufman, member of the School Council, stated that the desire to have as much natural light as possible has been raised repeatedly. He mentioned that the wings of Option C2 have the preferable southern exposure vs. D2's east/west orientation. D2 faces the hillside, which can result in shadows, cold, and a less friendly facade. This is an opportunity to take the general footprint and make it better. One suggestion would be to establish a design competition, to get the community excited and involved in the process, similar to what occurred during the design of the Newton Free Library.

Jim Adelshein, 12 Blithdale St., believes that the best option for the long-term educational needs of Newton's students is a new school and he is willing to pay extra taxes to support that plan. Newton can take on this debt given that the economy is at a 40-year low interest rate. With only a 10% variance between the five options, a 30-year bond would make the difference negligible and would have no impact on their Triple A bond rating. With a new building there will be no tradeoffs and they can incorporate all of the positive features of both options. It would also be the least disruptive plan.

Melissa Toolin, Blithdale Rd., stated that she does not want to look down her street at a brick wall and hopes they can find a compromise that will meet the needs of students, staff, and neighbors. She agrees that a new school makes the most sense.

Terry Morris, 57 Elm Rd., stated that all his children went to Newton North and he is looking forward to his granddaughter being in the new building. It is important to remember that the use of the school has intensified dramatically in recent years, so that it is now often a seven-day-a-week operation. While this is a positive outcome, there are associated consequences. With that comes a responsibility to assure that the operation of the school does not adversely impact the quality of life in the neighborhood. From the start, he has cautioned people of the danger of a disconnect between the needs of program and site space. His background in land planning and as a previous chairman of the City's Zoning & Planning and Land Use Committees provides him with some expertise in this area. Option C2 puts the building 250 from the nearest abutting residents on Lowell Ave. and one of the wings is within 50' from his front door. He suggested they consider a redesign of the footprint that will move it to the south end, where there is presently dead space.

Tracy Harmon, learning center teacher at Newton North, stressed the importance of choosing an option that makes the building accessible to all people in the community. Some of the plans do not seem to properly accommodate people with limited mobility.

David Fagan, Auburndale, stated that in the end he wants Newton North's building to be as wonderful as Newton South's and to be sure the appropriate funding is in place for its needs. The technology budget at the elementary level was cut in order to provide for technology at South and he does not want to see that happen with North. There are going to be cost overruns and unforeseen issues and they need to be properly prepared and up-front with the public. He wants this done right so that there are no future surprise Overrides or shortcuts taken because of insufficient funding.

Al Cecchinelli, Newtonville, has heard from many members of the community who have expressed the sentiment that if Newton North is so dangerous and unhealthy they should not be retaining part of the building. Others question the need for demolition at all and wonder why they cannot fix the problems in the current building. Given the uncertainty at the State level, he questioned how long it would take to see reimbursement, if at all.

Scott Dunphy, 4 Blithdale St., supports the efforts to improve Newton North and feels that a new school is the best solution, because it will be less disruptive to students and staff and will keep the traffic on a major artery. Option C 2 will push that burden onto streets that are not meant for that type of traffic.

Lee Joseph implored the Committee to choose the new high school option so that they can have a state-of-the-art facility for many future years. He understands that the price tag is more. However, perhaps they can think about some creative solutions, such as naming rights for certain parts of the building, e.g., gym or library.

Yaneer Bar-Yam mentioned that there is a resident expert in Newton on remediation of buildings and ventilation systems who has not yet been consulted. He will be glad to provide this information to the Committee.

Mark Wadness, Newton North PTSO Co-President, feels that they should be listening to the experts, who are the people who live in the building on a daily basis. He is willing to sacrifice a few years of discomfort for the right choice.

Chris Chu talked about the uniqueness of the current Main St., which morphs from larger to smaller areas and allows for different types of gatherings. This needs to be retained in whatever option is chosen. Main St. must be something that is celebrated and she fears the designs lose some of that spirit. Perhaps some modification to the designs, such as the C2 "plus" idea, could strengthen that concept.

Alex Graham supports a new school. As a civil engineer, he talked about his involvement in a renovation project of a Met-Life building. The disruption to the employees was very difficult, although from a contractor's point of view it was a positive experience given the numerous change orders that added to the bottom line. There are fewer complications and unknowns in new construction.

Doug Platkin, Newton Corner, believes that the renovation scenarios will take longer, cost more, and be more disruptive. He supports a new building and this is their opportunity to have a wonderful state-of-the-art facility.

Miles Fidelman, Newtonville, has been partial to the hybrids for cost reasons until this evening, having now listened to the various speakers. The notion of doing it right and building something that will make the community proud makes sense. He would suggest either C2 "plus" or a new building. He concluded by mentioning the issues of long-term maintenance and operating costs and the need to take those into consideration.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.