By Sarah Opdahl

New Fairfield’s Permanent Building Committee (PBC) met on Tuesday, August 26. Colliers International’s Mr. Scott Pellman presented an update on the goings on behind the bus lot planning, the redesign for which was kicked off in the week before this meeting. JCJ Architecture is leading the planning, using the bus lot design previously  completed by Engineer Mr. Ben Doto as a reference.

JCJ’s Ms. Christine O’Hare said they are “looking at making some refinements to that design, [however] for the most part, it’s going to be very similar.” She went on, “I think we were just looking at making some small adjustments.” It was noted that the bus lot building would remain as originally designed. When asked, it was clarified that there will be only one restroom as they are watching the budget closely, though there was a request for two bathrooms from bus personnel.

The bus lot has an anticipated schedule for the development of drawings, which will guide a  milestone schedule in the coming weeks. There was an emphasis on the importance of determining which date(s) to engage with the Zoning Commission.

With the elementary school’s playground out of use and the school year beginning, there is a heightened sense of urgency to solve the playground underlayment issues correctly and with time in mind. As a phase one, PBC members approved $94,550 in funds to remove the sub base, which was not adequately draining, replacing three hundred under drains, relocating trees, and tying the under drains into the existing perimeter drain. The playground installers will then complete the surface. Throughout the work, they will maneuver  around the playground equipment. Pellman clarified the materials that will be used and said, “We wanted a belt and suspenders solution. We can’t afford to continue to have an issue with this moving forward. So, we took a little more of a conservative approach to make sure that the result was positive.”

A letter to O&G regarding the cause(s) behind the propane failures at the high school, and the corrective actions that can be taken, is drafted but is being kept close to the vest for now. After reviewing with multiple Town officials, it was confirmed that the letter will be sent. Presumably, the contents/findings will be made public at a future meeting.

The Gillotti Road crosswalk at the high/middle school exit was nearly complete at the time of this meeting with curb cuts and concrete pads in place. Upon completing the paving, they anticipated that line striping would follow soon after the school year began. Also at the high school, a new guide rail was installed to create official parking but also to create a barrier from parkers going over the steep hill. Colliers International’s Mr. Mark Schweitzer shared, “we had a little bit of an issue on the placement of the guide rail. Where we had put it was right over the conduits tying the middle school and the high school together so the fiber was basically on the existing roadway in the back of the high school that we did the early in the work during the high school project…we moved that guide rail in to about 10 feet from the face of the curb, so it’ll allow parallel parking.” In addition, “It’ll allow the snow shovels to plow and push the snow up and over that curb in front of that guide rail.” O’Hare shared that a long-awaited wire management solution for the high school’s media center computer labs will be installed in early October.

The next regular Permanent Building Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 9, 7:30 p.m.