Residents attend the Anna E. Barry school building project meeting to learn about the project and express their concerns.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
CHICOPEE — The city of Chicopee, in collaboration with the Chicopee Public Schools, Colliers Project Leaders and Caolo and Bieniek Associates, hosted a neighborhood meeting on April 24 to update residents on the ongoing school building feasibility study regarding the Anna E. Barry Elementary School construction project.
Colliers Project Leaders are the project manager and Caolo and Bieniek Associates are the designer.
The event took place at Szetela Early Childhood School and there was standing room only as many residents were concerned and upset with the proposal to build a new elementary school behind the Szetela School property.
The panel consisted of Superintendent Marcus Ware, Mayor John Vieau, Barry School Building Commission Chair Carissa Lisee and Caolo and Bieniek Architects Principal and Project Architect Bert Garnder.
The entire Massachusetts School Building Authority process is expected to take seven years and Chicopee is in year two and a half, approximately, according to Vieau.
The purpose of this neighborhood session was to receive input from the public, explain the MSBA process, share the expert’s findings to date and address misinformation raised at the recent Building Commission meeting.
Chicopee is working in partnership with the MSBA to build or renovate a new elementary school to replace the Barry Elementary School and be partially reimbursed for the project.
Throughout the current feasibility stage process, the project managers and designers have been conducting a feasibility study of potential sites for the Barry School project. The preferred location was in Garrity Grove, where the current school is located.
The Barry School Building Commission wanted to keep the school in the neighborhood, so the district does not have to redistrict the students.
An assessment of the location was conducted to determine if the site would accommodate a new school. The site assessment found wetland soils in the proposed site which will impact the potential siting of a new school.
Garrity Grove is also protected by the parkland designation under Article 97 of Massachusetts law.
These challenges made use of the site difficult and questionable. As a result of the findings the commission asked the project manager and designer to investigate other neighborhood locations.
Vieau stated, “I know that many people that might not be happy and we’re trying to do what’s in the best interest of the of the people who live in Chicopee. Barry School location is not out, that’s a possibility, but had to look at option B.”
The designers evaluated four other locations as potential sites for a school, including the investigation of the Szetela School location and joining the new elementary school project in the neighborhood with the potential addition of the early childhood school.
Based on the MSBA process, no decision on the proposed site will be made official until the fall, according to Gardner, but residents expressed their displeasure with building a school on the Szetela School site due to the field and parks that residents enjoy using there.
Others expressed they thought renovating the current Barry Elementary School building would be best while some were upset that they did not know about the project entirely.
The pros and cons of the four locations were discussed and the commission felt that the potential use of the Szetela location may avoid some of the issues with the Garrity Grove site and is nearby, which would not necessitate redistricting.
The designer and project manager will work on the Szetela site assessment and coordinate with the MSBA to determine any impact of the project.
The potential project, if approved, would also update the Szetela early childhood building and provide an opportunity to address the city’s early childhood program needs and services.
Ware explained, “The feasibility of this potential project may provide us with the opportunity to update services and properly plan for the education of these students.”
The Building Commission will continue to work with the project manager and designers to determine the best and most cost-efficient site for the project and hope to have several preliminary designs by early summer.
Barry School Building Commission meetings take place on the second Thursday of every month at City Hall and are available for the public to watch at chicopeetv.org to stay up to date with the project.
