Update and Upcoming School Building Committee Meetings

On December 23rd, the School Building Committee met with architects from Symmes, Maini, & McKee, as well as with Todd Brayton, a traffic consultant from Bryant Associates, to discuss the scope of the traffic analysis. Also in attendance were Lieutenant Todd Pomerleau of the Andover Fire Department and Public Safety Officer Charles Edgerly of the Andover Police. With input from the neighbors in attendance we discussed the parameters of the study, which will be designed to study both existing conditions as well as the impact of a student population of up to 700 on current school access roads, potential school access roads (Bancroft, West Knoll and Holt), surrounding roads, and intersections. Included in the data the traffic consultants will collect will be police data, accident data, neighbor’s comments, and interviews of staff (such as the crossing guard).

To date we have received a number of emails related to neighborhood traffic concerns; if you have any further concerns, input or specific information for the traffic analysts, please email the SBC (sbc@aps1.net). The traffic consultant will also be attending the School Building Committee meeting for continued discussion on January 13th (see below).

In addition to discussing the traffic analysis, the architect team from SMMA showed the Committee four draft site concepts for a new Bancroft based upon an enrollment of 620 K-5 students and 80 Pre-K students. These draft site concepts showed how a building footprint might look on the site, along with access, parking, and field/play areas. Two of the site concepts showed the footprint in front of the current school, and two of the concepts showed the footprint behind the current school. These concepts were meant as a step in a process for evaluating potential options, and did not represent specific footprint designs from which we must choose. The Committee asked SMMA to bring options at our next meeting (see below) to show site concepts that could be built on the existing footprint.

Upcoming Meetings:

January 6th @ 8:00 am--3rd Floor Conference Room, Old Town Hall
At this meeting we will review the geotechnical consultant proposal as well as additional site concepts

January 13th @ 6:00 pm--School Committee Room, 36R Barltet Street, second floor above the Senior Center
We have scheduled this evening meeting to accommodate those who find it difficult to attend morning meetings. Todd Bryant, the traffic analyst from Bryant Associates, will be in attendance for further discussion of the traffic study. In addition, there will be ample time for community input on the Feasibility Study.