There was a brief review of the playground structures chosen for the Pre-K and K area to the side of the building and the structures for the playground at the rear of the building for ages 5-12.  There is a four-week bidding period.  The goal would be for the contract to be awarded by the end of February to leave enough lead time for the materials to be on site by the end of April when the Druce site will be ready to have the area prepared for the installation of the playground structures.  The installation should be completed by mid-July.

Members of the Building Committee requested additional information about the breakdown of costs for materials and installation as well as the number of students (capacity) of the playground structures and play area during recess times.

Roof-top Structures
In response to the abutters concern about the height, quantity, and placement of the rooftop structures, the Building Committee looked at options that would do the following:

• Lower the height of the units and screening structures by 12”-18”.
• Angle the top of the screening structures to give the appearance of a shorter structure.
• Use polycarbonate for the 12”-18” at the top of the lowered screening structures to allow for more light to pass through
• Reposition some of the structures to mitigate the obstructed views for the abutters.

There was discussion surrounding the related costs (money and delay of the project) of the options and the relative benefit to the abutters to resolve the abutters’ concerns.  According to the abutters present, the options for angling the screening structures and replacing the tops of the screening structures with polycarbonate are of limited value.  The options of interest to the abutters require moving some of the mechanical structures and the screening structures closer together and away from the Dean Road and Clinton Road properties.  Since more precise costs cannot be determined without designing the plan for the options, the architect was charged with conducting a preliminary feasibility study to show if the options to move the structures are possible and to provide more specific information regarding any additional costs that would be incurred.   This information will be shared with the Building Committee on Friday, December 9, 2011.

On December 5, 2011, there will be a Building Committee Meeting at 8:30 a.m. for a presentation of the playground equipment to be installed on the Druce Street site, followed by a follow up discussion of the roof top structures. As I know that there have been many questions about this issue, I will be sure to update you as any decisions are made.

There is also another Building Committee Meeting scheduled for December 16, 2011 to discuss the parking plan. I know that this is an area of concern both for residents in the immediate Runkle area as well as for the staff members. Please continue to look for updates in the Runkle News.

Survey Results (PDF)

We thank you for your feedback and and will continue to make improvements throughout the year.

Thank you!