The three-story design for the new Watertown High School got good reviews from the School Building Committee and residents who tuned into the meeting Wednesday night. Also, there were calls for the District Administration offices and the Facilities Department to another location to free up room at WHS.
The main academic building, proposed the property where the Phillips School and Senior Center now sit, was shortened by a story after concerns were raised about how big it would be compared to the surrounding neighborhood at a meeting in October.
Other changes include moving the dining/kitchen area and some tech ed classrooms from main academic building across Common Street to the building that will also include the gym, auditorium, District Administration offices, the Facilities Department and the new Senior Center. The two buildings would be connected by an enclosed pedestrian bridge that would have sides mostly made of windows.
Architect Scott Dunlap of Ai3 presented the preferred option, known as 3D-4, which has a rounded building on the current high school site that follows the curve of Common Street.
School Building Committee member Kelly Kurlbaum, who is a trained architect, said she worries that the curved building may look dated in the future. She preferred option 3D-2, with a more squared off building on the WHS site near Common Street. See drawings in the presentation from the meeting by clicking here.
The main academic building, on the current Phillips site, would be three stories for most of its length, but Dunlap said the property slopes down as it approaches Spring Street, so a bottom floor would built near that side of the building where the WHS administration and the Watertown Cable Access offices and studio would go.
That worried some residents. Barbara Ruskin, who lives across the street, said it would be much bigger than what is there now.
“My current view of Phillips School from my house is two stories, and now I would be facing four,” Ruskin said.
Two corners of the main academic building could be made into outdoor areas on the third floor, Dunlap said. They could be used as an outdoor learning space or gathering area, Dunlap said.
On the current site, one large building containing the dining area, kitchen, gym, auditorium and tech ed (vocational) classrooms would be built. Also inside, according the presentation, would be the District administration and Facilities department. Underneath the three story building would be a garage, which would not be visible from Columbia Street because of the slope of the property.
The design presented Wednesday showed a field space between the gym/auditorium building and the historic Common Street Cemetery.
School Building Committee member Leo Patterson, an architect, said he thought more academic space could be moved to the side with the gym and auditorium. He sees potential for the side of the building facing the field, which would have good light.
“It is interesting having the vocational program down there, but I don’t understand why it can’t be an art studio or other things spilling out on the green space,” Patterson said. “(In the current design) I see the art studio on the Phillips site, at ground level pinned between two academic spaces.”
Patterson also wanted to see something beside the back of the auditorium along Common Street, so that the area is more active.
Senior Center
Somewhere on that site the Council on Aging/Senior Center would be built. Dunlap said current plans would be to construct a 15,000 sq. ft. building, which would be twice the size of the current one. Discussions with the Council on Aging have not begun, but Dunlap anticipates that starting soon, and it will continue through the design process.
Residents and School Building Committee members said it was key for the Senior Center to have parking spaces nearby, as well as a spot for the senior shuttle and buses to pickup and drop off people.
Heidi Perkins, the district director of Finance and Operations, suggested that an outdoor eating space could be built near the school dining area, which could also be used by the Senior Center when it is not being used by the school.
Moving Non-WHS Functions Out
Town Council Vice President Piccirilli said he does not think the District Administration and Facilities department needs to be located at the new WHS.
“In my mind we are giving some prime real estate to office space for the District Administration,” Piccirilli said.
He suggested moving the administration and facilities to a new building that could be constructed on the site of the old Police Station (next to the Watertown Library). A study of the old Police Station found the cost of retrofitting the building would be about $4.8 million, Piccirilli said. The study recommended constructing a new, three-story office building on the site for $7 million. A larger building could provide space for other Town departments seeking a new home, he said.
“A five story building could have the Hatch makerspace on half of the first floor, with the other half for Facilities Management. You could give the second and third floors for the Department of Community Development and Planning, and the fourth and fifth for the District Administration,” Piccirilli said. “Even if the cost is double that, $14 million instead of $7 million, that is the money we budgeted for this project (for the District offices and facilities).”
Others said they liked that idea. Council President Mark Sideris said the future of the old Police Station was not under the control of the School Building Committee, but instead lies with the municipal government. Superintendent Dede Galdston said she would be happy to discuss a potential move to the old Police Station.
“I’ve always said I’m very flexible, and in the end I will go where ever it’s best,” Galdston said.
School Committee member Lindsay Mosca said she thinks there are advantages to having the District Administration close to the high school, including the proximity for district functions such as student services and curriculum.
Upcoming Meetings
Some nearby residents said that they had missed previous meetings because they had not heard about the meeting. Sideris said that COVID-19 has prevented holding in-person meetings, and so people must tune in by Zoom on watch on Cable Access.
The Watertown Schools started a High School building project website (click here), where information about upcoming meetings, key dates and other information can be found. People can also sent in comments and questions on the site.
Agendas for School Building Committee and links to the presentations can be seen by clicking here.
Sideris said the School Building Committee will have to have an additional meeting at the end of November to go over final details of the plan, so the Preferred Schematic Report can be submitted in time to be on the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s Facilities Assessment Subcommittee agenda on Jan. 13. Sideris asked for Ai3 to incorporate changes from the comments made Wednesday when the come back at the end of the month.
Please be Transparent Now and include most importantly the abutting residents. Shame on President Sideris by stating we have not sent letters to residents yet,WOW include them immediately.If you have not included WHS abutting houses as of yet you should have learned that was the mistake of the elementary new buildings parents and residents are requesting transparency, Mr. Sideris. They are entitled to answers and involvement. They are publicly requesting their input. Listen and be transparent, you owe them that especially on a 100 year old building.