By Sarah Opdahl

At their meeting on Tuesday, February 27, New Fairfield’s Permanent Building Committee (PBC) approved submitting a letter to request either the judge’s decision on the bus lot or for the judge to order the Board of  Selectmen (BOS) to provide the funding needed to continue the appeal. Given that the PBC was stated as a plaintiff, along with the Board of Selectmen (BOS), they are hoping to pursue the litigation on their own, following the BOS’s withdrawal from the appeal soon after the November election. Chair Mr. Don Kellogg read a letter that will be submitted to Judge Edward O’Hanlan, a land use judge in state Superior Court in Hartford, explaining that following the BOSs removal from the case, “the new legal counsel for the Town filed an appearance for the Town, but not for the Permanent Building Committee and is therefore not representing the interests of the Permanent Building Committee.”

Kellogg noted that the PBC was denied by Town officials for separate funding to secure representation to continue the matter. “The PBC continues to believe that the decision of the Zoning Commission was not in accord with state statutes or local ordinance,” he said. PBC members hope the court will give “assistance in appropriately resolving this dilemma by either making the ruling it was prepared to make back in early January, or ordering the Town of New Fairfield to provide the necessary funding so that the Permanent Building Committee can hire legal counsel to represent it in the pending motions on this matter.”

I n adjacent news, the PBC Chair approved architectural add services to investigate the feasibility of creating the bus lot on the north side of the new High School th ough “it’s not a great site,” Kellogg stated, going to say that there are negatives associated with the spot.

Updating the PBC on the school projects, Colliers International’s Mr. Mark Schweitzer explained that plans are approved for the demolition of Consolidated and final sign-offs are being acquired in order to proceed. The plan is to go out to bid on the demolition in mid-March.  He gave an update on the high school’s propane issue, saying Mitchell Oil representatives are “getting readings of the mercaptan in the science labs and it is acceptable.” Town Fire Marshall Mr. Derrek Guertin had not approved use as of this meeting, but the team working on the schools are hopeful that he will soon.

JCJ Architecture’s Mr. Bill Ayres gave an update on the loud fan noises on the high school’s third floor. The fans were re-balanced which helped bring the noise down to a much more acceptable level. He said that the manufacturers want to come back to the school to check the decibel levels one more time. PBC members asked for feedback from teachers whose classrooms were affected by the noise.

O&G’s Mr. Joe Vetro explained that the shoring up of the Middle School, following the old High School’s demolition continues. Air vapor barrier and roo f repair is ongoing. He also noted that commissioning is in the final stages at the new High School . In working on the parking lot behind the Middle School, unsuitable soils were found and will need to be removed. The soils were under the old High School’s footprint, making it impossible to test for them originally.

Schweitzer explained that the elementary playground surface repair is tentatively scheduled for the district’s April spring break. Though the temperatures will likely be fine, any rain will throw a wrench into the plans.

The next regular Permanent Building Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 12, 7:30 p.m.